The Central Bureau of Investigation ( CBI ) has arrested three individuals, including a Superintendent of CGST ( Anti-Evasion ) from the Mumbai West Commissionerate and CA during a sting operation.
The arrests occurred as the accused accepted a bribe of ₹20 lakh, which was part of a larger ₹60 lakh bribe demand. An additional ₹30 lakh of the bribe was allegedly paid earlier through hawala channels.
The CBI registered a case based on a complaint against 8 individuals, including six CGST officers from Mumbai—an Additional Commissioner, a Joint Commissioner, and four Superintendents—as well as two private individuals, one of whom is a Chartered Accountant (CA).
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The allegations revolved around bribery and coercion. The complainant alleged that he was detained at the CGST Office in Santacruz on September 4, 2024, and held for nearly 18 hours. During this time, the Superintendent of CGST demanded an ₹80 lakh bribe, which was later reduced to ₹60 lakh.
According to the complaint, the Superintendent was joined by three colleagues, also CGST Superintendents, who pressured and abused the complainant. They allegedly demanded the bribe in exchange for not arresting him and offering him favourable treatment in an ongoing investigation.
The complainant was forced to call his cousin to convey the bribe demand, and the cousin, in turn, contacted the accused CA. The CA, along with another private individual, negotiated the bribe with senior CGST officials, including the Joint Commissioner.
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The bribe amount was finalised at ₹60 lakh, with ₹30 lakh allegedly delivered through an Angadia, a traditional courier service. Only after this payment was the complainant released from custody.
Acting on the complaint, the CBI laid a trap and caught the accused CA red-handed while accepting ₹20 lakh on behalf of the CGST officers. The money was then passed to another private individual, who was tasked with delivering the remaining bribe to the CGST Superintendent. The CBI apprehended the Superintendent near Oshivara Police Station in Mumbai, where he had arranged to collect the bribe.
All three individuals involved in the bribery were arrested and produced before the Special Court for CBI cases in Mumbai. The Court granted police custody of the CGST Superintendent and the CA until September 10, 2024, while the private individual was remanded to judicial custody.
Searches were conducted at nine locations in and around Mumbai, leading to the recovery of incriminating documents. The investigation is ongoing.
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