Hyderabad: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested Jeevan Lal Lavidiya, Commissioner of Income Tax (Exemption), Hyderabad, on Saturday for allegedly taking a bribe of ₹70 lakh. The bribe was reportedly paid to influence a tax appeal decision in favor of the Shapoorji Pallonji Group.
Lavidiya, an Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer from the 2004 batch, wasn’t the only one taken into custody. The CBI also arrested Viral Kantilal Mehta, Deputy General Manager (Taxation) of Shapoorji Pallonji Group, along with Sairam Palisetty, Natta Veera Naga Sri Ram Gopal, and Sajida Majhar Hussain Shah.
This case has exposed a major corporate fraud. According to investigators, Shapoorji Pallonji Group worked with the tax officer to avoid paying large sums in income tax. This collaboration may have caused a significant financial loss to the Indian government.
Lavidiya, who was also overseeing Appeals Unit-7 and Unit-8 of the Income Tax Department, allegedly manipulated official records. This reportedly made it easier for the company to dodge taxes for years. The company has not yet responded to the allegations.
The CBI claims that Sajida Majhar Hussain Shah was caught delivering the bribe to Lavidiya. A First Information Report (FIR) has been filed against Lavidiya and 14 others, including individuals and private entities. The FIR alleges that the officer, with the help of middlemen, was accepting illegal payments to favor parties whose appeals were pending in his office.
A sting operation was carried out, and one accused was caught in Mumbai while accepting the ₹70 lakh bribe on Lavidiya’s behalf. Following this, Lavidiya and the others were arrested in Hyderabad.
Searches were conducted at 18 locations, including Mumbai, Hyderabad, Khammam, Visakhapatnam, and New Delhi. Investigators found around ₹69 lakh in cash, separate from the bribe amount. All suspects have been brought before special CBI courts in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and Maharashtra.
Originally from Khammam district, Lavidiya began his career as a software engineer at ECIL, Hyderabad, before joining the civil services in the early 2000s. Over the years, he held various roles in the Income Tax Department, including Assistant Commissioner, Deputy Commissioner (Investigation), Joint Commissioner for International Taxation, and Additional Commissioner of Intelligence and Criminal Investigation in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
The investigation is ongoing. Authorities believe this case could reveal more about corruption involving high-level officials and major corporate houses.
