CBI books 3 GST officials for demanding Rs 22L bribe

Mumbai, Mar 25, 2024

The CBI has booked two superintendents of central GST along with another official for allegedly demanding a sum of Rs 22 lakh from a bullion trader to settle a dispute.

The accused individuals have been identified as Satish Sharma and Ankur Godyan, both serving as superintendents of central GST and with another officer.

The CBI sources have clarified that while the bribe demand was confirmed, no bribe was accepted by the accused, posted at the Air India building in Nariman Point.

The case was registered by the CBI following a handwritten complaint received alleging a demand for Rs 22 lakh bribe by the superintendents. The complainant, a bullion trader based in the Zaveri Bazar area of south Mumbai, claimed to have received a summon from GST, leading to a series of events where the officials demanded the bribe to settle the matter.

The complainant claimed that he submitted all the documents after visiting the anti-evasion office in South Mumbai. Afterward Godyan issued another summon to the complainant’s son. The complainant visited the GST office and explained the details to Ankur Godyan and Akhilesh, who demanded Rs 22 lakh bribe to settle the matter.

The accused officials conducted a search at the trader's office on March 15 without providing any documents, leading to the detainment of the complainant at the GST office. The officials reportedly threatened the trader with a total tax liability of Rs 3 crore unless the bribe was paid. The accused officials allowed the complainant to go after threatening him to pay the bribe payment within 24 hours.

Following the ordeal, the complainant reported the issue to the CBI, which discreetly verified the allegations and registered a corruption case against the two superintendents and another GST official involved in the incident.

[The Times of India]