Banks helping to hide black money? I-T to probe

In its pursuit to unearth black money, the Income Tax Department will probe certain banks and their officials suspected to be helping customers hide illicit funds through multiple accounts.

"We have found instances where banks are running multiple accounts of certain customers for the purpose of hiding black money," a senior official of Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) said, although refusing to name the banks.

The official said foreign as well as domestic private and nationalised banks in the country were on the CBDT radar.

The department has sought help from banking industry body IBA (Indian Banks Association) to probe the role of the banks concerned as also their officials in this matter.

Sources said IBA was open to help the I-T sleuths. The probe against the erring banks and officials would be taken up by the Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI), a newly created arm of the CBDT.

The CBDT official said that such banks were violating the mandatory know-your-customer (KYC) norms laid down by the RBI while opening multiple accounts.

"Wherever we will get evidence we will prosecute bank officials and other individuals involved under the relevant sections of the Income Tax Act," he added.