In a big corruption scandal involving IT officials, sleuths from the Central Bureau of Investigation have registered cases against nine officers including a Principal Commissioner from the Income Tax Department here.

While two of the officers were Commissioners and five were in the rank of Joint Commissioners, one official was a Deputy Commissioner. Three private individuals have also been booked by the CBI for involving in the crime.

According to sources, the officials have allegedly availed undue benefits from the private individual for themselves as well as for their friends and relatives in the form of stay in luxury hotels; flight trips; hospitality and tours and travels to places at the expense of the private individual.

The sleuths conducted searches in the houses of the officials and retrieved 57 documents on the whole out of which 43 were property documents. Rs.22.29 lakh cash was also seized while a sum of Rs.37 lakhs in two bank accounts was frozen.

Details of FDRs to the tune of Rs.78.7 lakhs have been reportedly unearthed during the search operations.

The officials have also seized an I-pad and 23 pen drives have been seized for analysis.

Searches in the residences of all connected persons were held on 22.06.2016 and around 22 places spread over six States including Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Telengana, Maharashtra and Delhi were searched by CBI officials.

Three lockers were searched in connection with these searches and three more are reportedly identified for further operations.

These Searches also revealed 4.28 kg of gold jewelleries and 13 kg of silver jewelleries.

The officials have reportedly sealed three premises further searches and two locker operations were underway.