Criminal Conspiracy Exposed to Breach Confidentiality and Subvert Objectives of Faceless Tax Assessment Initiative
(Judicial Quest News Network)
Delhi April,25-The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested two individuals—an Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer of the rank of Deputy Commissioner of Income Tax and a private person—in an ongoing investigation into allegations of attempts to sabotage the Government of India’s Faceless Scheme of Income Tax Assessment.
These are the first arrests made in the case, which is centred around a conspiracy to undermine the integrity of the faceless assessment process. The investigation so far has revealed that the arrested individuals, in connivance with others, had been approaching taxpayers with pending high-value income tax assessments. In return for pecuniary benefits, they allegedly promised favourable outcomes in scrutiny cases, thereby circumventing the intended transparency and objectivity of the faceless system.
The Faceless Scheme—a landmark reform introduced by the Government of India—is aimed at reducing human interface in tax assessments, thereby minimizing discretion and curbing corruption. Under this scheme, taxpayers do not know the identity of their assessing officers, ensuring a system that is fair, anonymous, and technology-driven.
However, the accused allegedly violated the sanctity of this scheme by illegally accessing and leaking confidential assessment-related information, including the identities of assessment officers and specific issues under scrutiny. They reportedly shared these details with select taxpayers and collected bribes in exchange for influencing case outcomes.
Earlier, on February 6, 2025, the CBI conducted extensive searches at 18 locations across Delhi, Mumbai, Thane, West Champaran (Bihar), Bengaluru, and Kottayam (Kerala). During these searches, several incriminating documents, digital evidence, and records of financial transactions were recovered.
The investigation was initiated following a complaint from the Income Tax Department. After a preliminary inquiry revealed credible evidence, the CBI registered a case against:
- One Deputy Commissioner (IRS),
- Two Inspectors of the Income Tax Department,
- Five Chartered Accountants,
- One private individual, and
- Other unknown persons.
The arrested accused are being produced before the jurisdictional court, and further investigation is underway.
The CBI remains committed to upholding transparency and accountability in public administration and will continue its efforts to ensure that reform initiatives like the Faceless Scheme are implemented without compromise.
