In a significant development in a decade-old corruption case, the Special CBI Court at Aurangabad (Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar) in Maharashtra has convicted former Income Tax Officer Satish Kumar Bhadani and sentenced him to five years of rigorous imprisonment for demanding and accepting a bribe from a taxpayer, CBI press note said on Wednesday.
The court, on September 29, 2026, also imposed a fine of Rs 1.5 lakh on the former officer, who was serving as Income Tax Officer, Ward 2(2), at the Income Tax Office in Jalgaon, Maharashtra, at the time of the offence.
According to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the case was registered on September 23, 2016, following a written complaint filed by a taxpayer from Jalgaon district. The complainant alleged that both his and his wife’s income tax returns had been selected for detailed scrutiny by the Income Tax Department.
The complaint further stated that the accused officer demanded an undue advantage from the taxpayer in exchange for not conducting an intensive examination of the returns and for issuing favourable assessment orders.
Acting on the complaint, the CBI initiated an investigation and laid a trap to verify the allegations. During the operation, CBI officials caught Bhadani red-handed while allegedly accepting a bribe amount of Rs 40,000 from the complainant. The successful trap led to his arrest and the initiation of formal legal proceedings.
Following the investigation, the CBI filed a chargesheet against the accused on December 28, 2016. However, the judicial process extended over several years, and charges were formally framed by the court on December 20, 2021.
After examining the evidence and hearing arguments presented during the trial, the CBI Court found the accused guilty of corruption-related offences.
The court subsequently awarded five years of rigorous imprisonment and imposed the monetary penalty.
The conviction is being viewed as another important outcome in the efforts of anti-corruption agencies to curb bribery and abuse of official position within public offices.
The case underscores the legal consequences faced by public servants who misuse their authority for personal gain and highlights the role of investigative agencies in addressing complaints of corruption.
The CBI welcomed the verdict, which brings the long-pending case to its conclusion after nearly 10 years from the date of registration of the complaint.
