CBI court sentences two Income Tax officials to four years’ imprisonment in 2015 bribery case

Jaipur, Sep 26, 2025

A CBI Court in Jodhpur has pronounced its judgment in a major corruption case that had shaken the Income Tax Department in 2015.

The court sentenced Pawan Kumar Sharma, the then Income Tax Commissioner, and Shailendra Bhandari, the then Income Tax Officer, to four years of simple imprisonment each for accepting bribes.

The case dates back to 2015, when the Central Bureau of Investigation conducted a trap operation at a jewellery showroom near Sojati Gate, Jodhpur.

Acting on a complaint, the CBI caught Sharma and Bhandari red-handed while accepting a bribe of ₹15 lakh. Both were arrested on the spot, and an investigation was launched.

The CBI probe revealed that the two officers had grossly misused their official positions by demanding and accepting illegal gratifi