From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru

Bengaluru, Oct 5: For a change, the officials of Income Tax (I-T) Department have reportedly written to Karnataka’s Director General of Police (DGP) and Inspector General of Police (IGP) Roop Kumar Dutta expressing apprehension that the State’s Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) was planning raids against the I-T Department officials.

This letter has become a matter of debate and trading of charges on the alleged "misuse of official machinery".

it may be recalled that the State’s DGP (I-T intelligence) Balakrishnan had written to DG and IGP R K Dutta that the department had information about ACB's plans to raid I-T officials.

In the letter, Balakrishnan had reportedly pointed out that the ACB had no jurisdiction over the I-T department, which comes under the Centre.

"If the ACB has any information about corruption or irregularities, they should either inform the senior I-T officials or the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) as per procedure," he said in the letter.

This letter had led to the I-T Department writing to State’s DGP and IGP.

However, the State police department had stated that the ACB had no plans to raid I-T officials, nor were there any provisions to conduct such raids.

The department has also added that the tip-off received by the I-T department was false.

Karnataka’s Home Minister R Ramalinga Reddy said that I-T was the Centre that was misusing Enforcement Directorate, I-T department, CBI and other investigating agencies, and not the State Government.

"The ACB knows its jurisdiction and the State Government will not interfere in its functioning," he said.

The minister clarified that he cannot answer to all the reports about letters written to the DGP and said the officer will deal with the matter.