CBI slices into pizza bribe plot, IRS officer caught with Rs 1 crore cash, 3.5kg gold

NEW DELHI: A senior Indian Revenue Service officer has been arrested after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) uncovered a bribery racket involving a major cash seizure and gold haul. Amit Kumar Singal, a 2007-batch IRS officer serving as Additional Director General at the Directorate of Taxpayer Services, was arrested alongside his associate Harsh Kotak in connection with an alleged bribe of Rs 25 lakh.CBI officials confirmed on Monday that raids at Singal’s residences in Delhi and Punjab led to the seizure of approximately Rs 1 crore in cash, 3.5 kg of gold, and 2 kg of silver. The operation followed a complaint by Sanam Kapoor, owner of La Pino’z Pizza, who alleged that Singal demanded a total of Rs 45 lakh to settle an income tax notice issued earlier this year.According to the complaint, Singal had leveraged his previous position as Joint Commissioner in the Customs Department, Mumbai, to establish business connections with Kapoor, including a franchise agreement via Parker Impex, a firm registered in his mother's name. Additional contracts were reportedly arranged with other firms linked to Kotak and his family. After a business dispute, Kapoor alleged he was pressured into buying back outlets at inflated rates. Following the fallout, Singal allegedly influenced the issuance of an income tax notice against Kapoor in February 2025.Also read: CBI arrests IRS officer, businessman in bribery caseKapoor’s chartered accountant was informed that a substantial penalty was likely due to Singal’s influence. In April, Kapoor met Singal at his Delhi office, where the officer allegedly demanded Rs 45 lakh and issued threats of legal action and financial penalties.Acting on Kapoor’s detailed complaint, the CBI verified the claims, including a four-hour covert recording of discussions between the parties on 30 May. The next day, the agency conducted a trap operation in Mohali, where Kotak was allegedly caught accepting the first instalment of the bribe on Singal’s behalf.Singal was subsequently arrested from his residence in Delhi’s Vasant Kunj. Both men have been remanded in judicial custody until 13 June, according to Kapoor’s lawyer, Gagandeep Jammu.