On Friday, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) took into custody two superintendents, an inspector, and a tax assistant from the GST & Central Excise Division located at GST Bhawan in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh.
The arrests were made in connection with allegations of soliciting and accepting a bribe amounting to ₹25,000 from an individual. This payment was purportedly intended to settle incorrect notices that had been issued to the complainant regarding a business entity registered under his name for GST purposes, according to CBI officials.
The individuals arrested by the CBI were identified as two superintendents, namely KP Singh and Rohit Kumar Varshney, along with inspector Pradeep Kumar and tax assistant Sanchit Kumar. The case stemmed from a complaint filed by a Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) agent against two officials from the Central Goods and Services Tax (CGST) department in Aligarh.
The complainant asserted that no business entity had ever been registered under his name with the Goods and Services Tax (GST) department. Nonetheless, he had been receiving notices from the CGST department since 2021, demanding a sum of ₹1,70,981.
The complainant alleged that the accused individuals had demanded a bribe of ₹30,000 to withdraw the aforementioned notice. This demand was made during a meeting between the complainant and the accused officials at the CGST office, concerning the notice in question.
Subsequently, the CBI initiated a trap operation. During this operation, tax assistant Sanchit Kumar, who was employed at the CGST office, accepted a bribe of ₹25,000 from the complainant and handed it over to inspector Pradeep Kumar. As part of the investigation, the CBI apprehended the two superintendents, the inspector, and the tax assistant and also seized the bribe money.
Searches were conducted at five different locations associated with all four accused individuals, resulting in the discovery of ₹5 lakh in cash and various documents. Following their arrest, the accused were presented before the competent court on Friday and subsequently remanded to judicial custody.
This incident underscores the importance of maintaining integrity and adhering to the principles of transparency and accountability within government departments and agencies. The CBI’s swift action in response to corruption allegations serves as a reminder of the commitment to combat corrupt practices in public service.
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