Patna, July 16 (IANS) In a major crackdown on corruption, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested three Income Tax officials, including an IRS officer, for accepting a bribe of Rs 2 lakh in Patna, an official said on Wednesday.

The arrested officials include an Assistant Director (IRS), Income Tax (Investigation), an Inspector, and a Multi-Tasking Staff (MTS) of the Income Tax Department.

On July 15, 2025, CBI registered a case against the officials following allegations that they demanded Rs 2 lakh as a bribe for releasing a previously seized amount of Rs 13 lakh and for not initiating further inquiry against the complainant.

The Rs 13 lakh had reportedly been seized from the complainant’s brother-in-law at the airport, following which the matter was intimated to the Income Tax Department.

CBI laid a trap and caught the officials red-handed while accepting the bribe at Patna’s Income Tax office located on Veer Chand Patel Path.

During the operation, Rs 2 lakh in bribe money was recovered, which was collected at the direction and on behalf of the IRS officer.

The CBI sleuths on July 15 searched three locations in Patna, linked to the accused officials.

All three accused were produced before CBI Special Court-1 in Patna on Wednesday, and remanded to three days of CBI custody for further investigation.

The arrests highlight the CBI’s ongoing focus on corruption within government departments, particularly in sensitive areas like the Income Tax Department during the election period in Bihar.

The case also underscores the continued operation of CBI’s anti-corruption initiatives to build public trust and accountability in government offices.

Earlier on March 23, the CBI had arrested four individuals, including the General Manager (GM) of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and the GM of a private construction company, in connection with a bribery case.

The arrests were made immediately after a bribe of Rs 15 lakh was exchanged, and Rs 1.18 crore in cash was recovered from the premises of the NHAI official in Patna.

–IANS

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