The Indian Revenue Services (IRS) officials top the Central Bureau of Investigation’s list of corrupt bureaucrats. In one-year period, beginning May 2009 to May 2010, the CBI has sought sanction for prosecution against at least 102 IRS officials posted in different parts of the country in connection with corruption cases.
The officials of the Indian Railways follow second with the CBI seeking sanction for prosecution against 35 of its officials. With sanction for prosecution requests pending against at least 27 of its officials, the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) comes a close third.
Sources further revealed that the agency sought prosecution sanction against nine customs officials on a single day on June 29, 2009. On October 15, the same year, the CBI moved another request of prosecution sanction against 24 senior officials of the customs and Central excise departments. Majority of them were posted in Madurai and Chennai.
“On October 16, 2009, the CBI sought prosecution sanction against another 24 senior officials of the customs and Central excise from zonal headquarters of the department located in Chennai in connection with corruption cases. Recently, the CBI moved another request of prosecution sanction against 34 senior officials of the customs and Central excise, posted in Ludhiana in Punjab, on May 31, 2010,” sources said. All requests against 102 IRS officials are pending with the department concerned and the agency is waiting for the approval, sources added.
As far as officials of Indian Railways are concerned, the CBI sought prosecution sanction against four senior officials of the department on September 8, 2009, sources said.