“I joined Indian Revenue Services when I was 22 years old and went on to take roles of increasing responsibilities as Assistant Director, Joint Director, Commissioner and Chief Commissioner of Income Tax. I was Director General of the Election Commission of India and retired as a Member and Special Secretary of the Central Board of Direct Taxes in 2020.

I had a degree in law, which came in handy post-retirement. On the back of my professional experience, I started practice as an advocate, representing cases in the Income Tax Tribunal, High Court and Supreme Court. I focus on financial matters like PMLA, Benami Properties Act, Black Money Act, Income Tax law, Service Tax matters, etc. I find that many people suffer due to a lack of understanding of the law of the land, as well as a lack of representation, and I try to help them. Not all offenders are criminals and should not be treated as such.

My other engagements include driving the Purbasa Folk and Tribal Art Museum and Odiart Centre (showcasing folk and indigenous art from Odisha) that I set up at Barkul village in the proximity of Chilka Lake, near Bhuvaneshwar. I also set up a Public Library, “Prafulla Pathagar,” in a village in Odisha some 30 years ago and continue to support it. I consider these projects to be my two children, in addition to my two daughters.

The turning point in my career came in 1996, just prior to the Cricket World Cup tournament being hosted in the Indian subcontinent. As Joint Commissioner of TDS, I found irregularities in the accounts of PILCOM, a company formed with a Pakistani, Indian and Sri Lankan Joint Committee associated with this tournament. I was up against a powerful, politically connected individual who ignored our initial summons. Finally, I initiated a show cause notice with the provision to attach his accounts. This set up a chain of events where I received phone calls from ministries and senior government officials to deter me, as it would have jeopardized the World Cup. I humbly submitted that I couldn’t back down unless I received a directive from the Board in these circumstances. The Board arranged for a directive, and as I prepared to withdraw, there was a Parliament query on the matter the very next day, questioning the Board’s authority. On the contrary, the Board had to withdraw their directive! This gave me the confidence to persevere, and I went on to collect the taxes from the powerful and influential who controlled the game. However, the matter went to the High Court and then to the Supreme Court, as the case lingered on for the next 40 years. Coincidentally, the Supreme Court upheld all my actions one day before I retired! My advice to the younger generation is to remain sincere and steadfast in the face of undue pressure. If you know your facts, you will be unstoppable.