IRS Officer suspended on charges of corruption

Mumbai: The fight against corruption in India is taking progressive turns with each officer's malpractices surfacing every day. In latest, the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) has suspended Deepak Pandit who was working as the Assistant Commissioner (Customs). The officer had charges of having disproportionate assets against him. The CIBC started probing about the officer after receiving an anonymous complaint against him. The complaint alleged that the Assistant Commissioner abused his powers and purchased disproportionate assets via unethical and corrupt means.

Allegations against the officer state that Deepak had acquired properties in various upmarket parts of Mumbai which were disproportionate as compared to his income. Further, it was alleged that the officer had spent the money acquired through corrupt means on getting his two sons married.

Preliminary investigations conducted by the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs revealed that Deepak Pandit acquired numerous residential and commercial properties located in the posh and highly expensive areas of Mumbai in Andheri (West), Juhu, and Kandivali (East) in his name. Some properties were acquired on the name of his two sons Ashutosh D Pandit and Divyansh Deepak Pandit as well.

Further, the income tax returns filed by officer Deepak revealed suspicious transactions. Suspicious transactions have also been recorded in the returns filed by the officer's son's company Wild Buffalo Entertainment. Divyandh Deepak Pandit - the officer's son runs Wild Buffalo Entertainment.

Before he himself got suspended, Deepak Pandit was probing three Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officials in the customs department who were charged with alleged corruption and malpractices till June this year. Later, he was transferred along with two seniors who were supervising the inquiry.