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Jaipur, October 9 (IANS) A special CBI court in Jodhpur has sentenced former Income Tax officer Shailendra Bhandari to four years in jail and imposed a fine of Rs 27 lakh in a disproportionate assets case. This decision was given by Judge Bhupendra Kumar Sanadhya on Thursday.
According to the court, Bhandari amassed 26.46 per cent of his total wealth illegally during his tenure in the Income Tax Department.
While his known income was Rs 61.25 lakh, investigation revealed that he had assets worth Rs 1.57 crore, of which Rs 26.6 lakh was considered unaccounted and illegally acquired.
In his remarks, Justice Sanadhya said: “Corruption has spread in every sector and is eating away the country’s economy like termites. Despite strict provisions under the Prevention of Corruption Act, government employees indulge in corrupt practices.”
“If leniency is shown towards the accused, it will encourage other corrupt officials and send a wrong message to the society.”
This case dates back to March 31, 2015, when the CBI had arrested Bhandari, the then Chief Commissioner PK Sharma and a jeweler in a bribery case.
Subsequent investigation revealed that both officers had acquired assets disproportionate to their known sources of income. Separate cases were registered against him.
The CBI search of Bhandari’s home and office yielded extensive documents and records indicating massive accumulation of wealth in his and his family’s name. Based on the evidence, the CBI led by Inspector Mukesh Bansal registered a case of disproportionate assets on March 2, 2016.
According to CBI lawyer Bhagwan Singh Bhanwaria, Bhandari started his career in the Income Tax Department as an LDC (Lower Division Clerk) on January 2, 1978.
Over the years, he was promoted through various ranks, serving as UDC, Tax Assistant, Inspector and ultimately Income Tax Officer.
He held the post of Inspector from 2001 to 2009 and Income Tax Officer from 2009 till his arrest in 2015. He was caught red-handed taking bribe from a jeweler on 31 March 2015, due to which he was immediately suspended.
The total income of Bhandari and his family between April 1, 2006 and March 31, 2015 was Rs 1.57 crore, while his expenditure was recorded at Rs 57.09 lakh.
The court found that Bhandari had illegally earned Rs 26.6 lakh or 26.46% of his total income during the review period, which was declared as illegally acquired assets. In a separate bribery case, Bhandari was earlier sentenced to four years’ imprisonment and a fine of ₹1.10 lakh on September 26, 2025. He remained under suspension from 2015 until his retirement on September 29, 2017.
–IANS
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