NEW DELHI: If you are a tax payer awaiting refunds at the end of the financial year, here's a shocker.

Tax authorities in New Delhi suspect money meant for refunds to have been diverted to some fake accounts.

As many as 10 complaints have been filed by the tax authorities with the Delhi Police against some data-entry operators who are suspected to have diverted money meant for refunds last year, a government official said on condition of anonymity.

The FIRs, filed with the Indraprastha Estate Police Station, near the headquarters of the Income-Tax Department, Delhi, named the operators hired by the department for processing returns in the capital.

In the last financial year, refunds of Rs 41,419 crore were issued, while in the previous year those totalled Rs 40,701 crore.

In Delhi alone, in 2008-09 refunds of Rs 9,459 crore were given against Rs 7,673 crore in 2007-08.

When contacted, a spokesperson of the Central Board of
Direct Taxes told PTI that these instances would not affect
the refunds and asserted that the computer systems of the
Income-Tax department have not been hacked by outsiders.