The Gujarat Anti-Corruption Bureau ( ACB ) arrested two Central GST ( Goods and Services Tax ) officers and a middleman on charges of accepting a bribe of ₹1.25 lakh from a bullion trader in Ahmedabad. The arrests were made on Wednesday following a complaint from the trader, and the ACB laid a trap to catch the accused red-handed.
The arrested individuals have been identified as a CGST audit superintendent, a CGST inspector, and a middleman named Bhaumik Soni. According to the ACB’s release on Thursday, Shaikh, a Class II officer, had recently issued a notice to the owner of a bullion trading firm, calling for an audit of the firm’s accounts from July 2017 to March 2023.
As part of the audit process, the CGST Class 2 officer visited the trader’s office located on CG Road and requested the trader to present the necessary documents at the CGST office. After reviewing the documents, the two officers allegedly informed the trader that there were discrepancies in the accounts, which could result in a penalty of ₹35 lakh.
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However, instead of proceeding with the official penalty, the officers allegedly demanded a bribe of ₹1.25 lakh to reduce the penalty amount. The trader, unwilling to comply with the illegal demand, reported the matter to the ACB, leading to an undercover operation.
On Wednesday, the ACB officials, by a complaint received through their toll-free number, 1064by a complaint received through their toll-free number, 1064, caught the middleman accepting the bribe amount at the bullion trader’s office, acting on behalf of the two CGST officers. Following Soni’s arrest, the ACB also apprehended GST officers from other locations.
According to the allegations, the officials sought bribes related to purported discrepancies identified in the accounts for the 2019-20 financial year. They claimed that a substantial penalty was owed and requested a bribe to resolve the issue favourably for the trader.
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