In a significant step towards countering black money and other criminal offences having financial implication, the revenue department’s Directorate of Income Tax (Criminal Investigation), or DCI, will become operational from this week in eight offices at critical locations across the country.
A senior Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) official said the notification empowering DCI would be issued within this week. “All the work has been done to create DCI’s formal intelligence structure. The notification empowering the directorate for the assigned work is slated to be issued on Tuesday,” he told Business Standard.
The Director General of Income Tax (Criminal Investigation) would be heading the operations of DCI, formed through a government notification on May 30 this year, from the central office located in Delhi.
| DCI DOSSIER |
| * Directorate of Income Tax to become operational in eight offices at critical locations across the country |
| * It is being seen as an important move towards tackling high-profile crime involving financial connotation |
| * DCI will enter into deals for sharing of information with other central and state agencies in India or abroad |
The official said a director would head each of the DCI eight directorates at Delhi, Chandigarh, Jaipur, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata and Lucknow.
“All the locations have been selected keeping in mind the territorial importance from national security point of view,” he said.
Each directorate had been created at specific locations keeping in mind territorial requirements, but all the 8 directorates functioning under DCI will have an all-India jurisdiction.
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“Jaipur and Ahmedabad centres will take care of the India-Pakistan border; Lucknow office will keep tab on Indo-Nepal border. Kolkata will handle requirements of the Northeast region and Mumbai will focus on Western coast and also Mumbai-specific activities. Chennai will look at the East Coast. Chandigarh will tackle cases of the Northern region,” the official said.
The DCI is being seen as an important move towards tackling high-profile crime involving financial connotation as the officials working in DCI would be focusing on criminal investigation.
The I-T wing created on the lines of US IRS Criminal Investigation would be performing functions in respect of criminal matters having financial implication punishable as offence under any direct tax law.
The DCI would have powers to seek and collect information about persons and transactions suspected to be involved in criminal activities having cross-border, inter-state or international ramifications that pose threat to national security and are punishable under the Income Tax Act. It will also investigate the source and use of funds involved in such activities. DCI will also enter into agreements for sharing of information and other co-operation with other central and state agency in India or abroad.
The wing has powers to file prosecution complaint in the competent court under any direct tax law relating to a criminal activity.
It would be able to execute appropriate witness protection programmes, to insulate witnesses from any harm, for effective prosecution of criminal offences.