Hyderabad: In a nation-wide operation, CBI on Saturday arrested Jeevan Lal Lavidiya, commissioner of Income Tax (exemptions), Hyderabad, along with four others in a bribery case involving Rs 70 lakh. Jeevan Lal, a 2004-batch Indian Revenue Service officer, is the son of Wyra BRS ex-MLA Ramulu Naik. Besides exemptions, Jeevan Lal held additional charge of two appeals units.

According to CBI officials, he was allegedly collecting bribes through a network of intermediaries to extend illegal favours in pending tax appeal cases.

The sleuths also arrested two Chembur residents from Mumbai, Viral Mehta, who is deputy general manager (taxation) at real estate major Shapoorji Pallonji Group and M Sajida Majhar Hussain Shah. Searches were conducted simultaneously at 18 locations including Mumbai, Hyderabad, Khammam, Visakhapatnam, and New Delhi. During the operation, officials seized Rs 69 lakh in cash in addition to the bribe amount, along with several incriminating documents and digital records.

Officials added more arrests were likely given that 15 people were named in the case and searches had not ended till Saturday evening.

CBI had registered the case on Friday against Jeevan Lal and 14 others. The agency laid a trap in Mumbai, where an accused was caught red-handed while accepting Rs 70 lakh. The amount was allegedly meant for Jeevan Lal in return for a favourable decision in an appeal. Following the transaction, the accused were arrested from Hyderabad and other parts of Mumbai as well.

CBI officials claim Jeevan Lal was involved in a systematic operation of demanding bribes through middlemen. Sairam Palisetty, a resident of Srikakulam, was among those arrested. He is alleged to have played a key role in facilitating and fixing meetings between different people and Jeevan Lal. Natta Veera Naga Sri Ram Gopal, a resident of Visakhapatnam, too was taken into custody on similar allegations.

The two accused arrested in Mumbai were produced before the special judge for CBI cases in Mumbai. The other three arrested from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana were produced before local courts.