Swarn Singh. Picture by Ajay Kumar Mishra

Dhanbad, Jan. 23: Disclosures made by the arrested assistant director (investigations) of the income-tax Swarn Singh and his go between Mrityunjay Chaurasia could land several others of the department in the dragnet of the Central Bureau of Investigation.

Singh and Chaurasia, arrested yesterday on corruption charges, were taken on a four-day remand for interrogation.

Chaurasia reportedly acted as a conduit for some other officials of the department currently posted in Dhanbad and some of those who have been transferred elsewhere in the country. One such officer is already facing departmental proceedings and is posted in the northern part of the country, said sources in the bureau.

The sources claimed that many more heads in the department and many other middlemen working for different officials would be brought under the purview of the investigations which began with the acceptance of a bribe of Rs 1 lakh by the officer through his go-between. Sources claimed that they could get “vital clues” about the rampant corruption in the income-tax during the course of investigation. Though no senior official of the bureau wanted to go on record, CBI sources said Singh had admitted that there were several links in the slush-money chain. “I have to give the money even to my seniors,” was what Singh is learnt to have told his interrogators.

The arrested officer, however, skirted questions fired by reporters when he was being taken to the Dhanbad police station a little after midnight last night. Asked about the money found in his house — around Rs 1.08 crore — and the extent of corruption in his department, Singh appeared cool and replied: “I will tell you tomorrow).” CBI deputy inspector-general B.B. Mishra said further scrutiny of documents recovered from the official’s house has led to the seizure of national savings certificates, Kisan Vikas Patras and fixed deposits.

worth Rs 7.75 lakh, Rs 3.69 lakh deposited in different banks, Rs 2 lakhs invested in shares of different companies, jewellery worth Rs 3.29 lakh, house in Dhanbad worth Rs 25 lakh and household furniture worth Rs. 1.5 lakh.

The bureau plans to open the lockers owned by the income tax official in the different banks tomorrow and is hopeful of recovering even more from them.

The raid has sent ripples in the department and the finance ministry. Director (investigation), Patna, Vijay Sharma, who happens to be the immediate boss of Singh, said the officer has been placed under suspension.