IRS officer's premises raided: ₹1 cr cash, 3.5 kg gold, 2 kg silver seized

CBI seizes ₹1 crore cash, 3.5 kg gold, and 2 kg silver in raids on IRS officer Amit Kumar Singal's properties across Delhi, Mumbai & Punjab in a ₹25 lakh bribery case linked to a pizza chain

Piles of cash amounting to ₹1 crore, along with several pieces of gold jewellery and silver and gold coins worth ₹3.5 crore, were seized following raids at locations connected to a senior Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer in Delhi, Mumbai, and Punjab.

 

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) recovered 3.5 kg of gold, 2 kg of silver, and ₹1 crore in cash during searches at the homes and offices of officer Amit Kumar Singal. Singal was arrested along with one of his associates in connection with a bribery case involving ₹25 lakh.

 

Singal, a 2007 batch IRS officer, was serving as the additional director general at the Directorate of Taxpayer Services in Delhi.

 

CBI's statement on seizure

"The Central Bureau of Investigation has conducted searches at various premises and recovered substantial assets and incriminating material, including approximately 3.5 kg of gold and 2 kg of silver, valued at around ₹3.5 crore and cash amounting to ₹1 crore approximately," a CBI official told NDTV.

 

The investigation revealed that Singal also owned properties in Delhi, Mumbai, and Punjab. "Documents of a locker and 25 bank accounts with various banks; and documents of immovable properties and assets located in Delhi, Mumbai and Punjab. The total value of all movable and immovable assets is yet to be ascertained," the official added.

Bribery case details

The CBI registered a case against Singal on Saturday (May 31). It was alleged that he demanded illegal payments of ₹45 lakh from the complainant, the owner of a pizza chain, in return for favourable treatment from the revenue department. According to the CBI FIR, Singal had demanded a total bribe of ₹45 lakh to resolve an income-tax notice issued to Sanam Kapoor, owner of La Pino'z Pizza.

 

The complainant said the demand came with threats of legal action, heavy penalties, and harassment if the bribe was not paid. The complainant was instructed to deliver the first instalment of ₹25 lakh to his home in Mohali, Punjab, on Saturday.

 

The CBI laid a trap and caught the accused's associate, Harsh Kotak, red-handed while demanding and accepting ₹25 lakh as a bribe on behalf of Singal. Singal was arrested at his residence in Vasant Kunj, Delhi, on the same day.

 

Both accused were presented before the court on Sunday (June 1), which sent them to judicial custody for 14 days.