Sudhir Chandra: Know the super taxman in North Block anchoring Madhu Koda episode

HIS room in North Block is one of the busiest places these days thanks to the Income Tax department's massive searches all over the country to trace over Rs 2000 cr allegedly unaccounted assets of former Jharkhand chief minister Madhu Koda. Amid constant buzzing of at least one of his three mobile phones, he gives instructions to his visitors, all I-T officials who don't need to ask his permission before stepping into his room located in the same floor of India's all powerful finance minister Pranab Mukherjee. After all, he never allows his peons to switch on the red light outside his door even when he conducts very significant and sensitive meetings. And he gets upset only when a junior official takes his permission before entering his room! That's Sudhir Chandra, Member, Investigation of Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) and a 1973 batch Indian Revenue Service official. Mr Chandra, who micro-managed the entire show witnessing over 400 taxmen taking part in the Koda operation, is a confirmed believer of divine strength. He has kept the photographs of his religious guru all around the wall of his official room, possibly to draw strength against any political interventions while handling such sensitive I-T search cases. He has asked his officials to be extremely polite in handling the operations, but at the same time wanted them to be as courageous as "Rani of Jhansi". But what this tax hound does when he ends his busy day in North Block? He goes back his own little world and starts playing Lara’s Theme to Strangers in the Night... in his piano. Yes, he had public performances of playing piano during his time of probation 36 years ago. (Picture: 1973 batch IRS officers during training at NADT)

HC issues contempt notice to UP principal secretariat Allahabad High Court on Saturday issued contempt notice to the UP's Principal Secretary of Public Works Department (PWD) and asked him to appear in person on November 23, 2009. The order was passed by Justice D P Singh on a contempt petition regarding discrimination against PWD stenographers.