He has been suspended from the Income Tax department on the charges of delayed approval in IT returns, high-handedness and sexual harassment among others, which the 1987 batch IRS officer S K Srivastava says are a result of his being a whistle-blower.

"My client was suspended on 30th March 2007 on charges which were completely untrue. Two charge sheets have been issued by the department which are full of lies and this is an attempt to cover up a huge scam running into several hundred crores which my client had pointed out," Srivastava's counsel H P Singh told PTI.

Senior officers of Central Board for Direct Tax (CBDT) refused to come on record but said Srivastava had been indulging in a "malicious campaign" since he was suspended.

"He had become a nuisance. There are charges of gross misconduct, sexual harassment among other serious sections against him. He is just trying to defame the people who opposed his ways," an official said.

Srivastava's trouble started soon after a new third commissioner was appointed whom he reported to as an Additional Commissioner of 'Range seven' in the capital, a post he held since 2003.

"During the course of his work after the new officer took charge in 2004, he came across gross corruption whereby certain firms were being extended undue advantages resulting in loss of over Rs 10,000 crore to the government," Singh said.

He said his client has since then been harassed by the higher-ups in the department which includes some senior functionaries of CBDT and even a former Director General, Vigilance of the Income Tax department.