Six CGST Mumbai officials arrested in bribery case, superintendent among three arrested

New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has caught three persons, including a superintendent of CGST (Anti-Evasion) in Mumbai, red-handed while accepting a bribe of Rs. 20 lakh.

It was reported that bribes amounting to Rs. 30 lakh were allegedly transferred through Hawala.

According to an FIR, the CBI has registered a case based on a complaint against eight accused, including six officials of the CGST in Mumbai, including an additional commissioner, a joint commissioner, four superintendents and two private persons, including a chartered accountant, on allegations of bribery, etc.

It was alleged that when the complainant visited the CGST office at Santacruz on the evening of September 4, he was detained there the whole night and was released only on September 5 after about 18 hours.

It was further alleged that while the complainant was in custody, one of the accused, the Supdt. CGST (bribe taker), demanded a bribe of Rs 80 lakh in order not to arrest him. Later, the bribe was reduced to Rs 60 lakh.

Further, it was alleged that three other colleagues of the said Superintendent (all Superintendents of CGST) joined him in pressurising the complainant, including through repeated use of force and verbal abuse. The complainant was allegedly forced to call his cousin while in custody to inform him that the CGST officials were demanding undue advantage for not arresting the complainant and for favouring him in an ongoing CGST investigation. It was also alleged that the complainant’s cousin subsequently contacted an accused CA who in turn contacted other accused private persons and senior CGST officials including the accused Joint Commissioner of CGST.

Both accused CA and other accused private persons visited the CGST office on the intervening night and negotiated with the CGST officials for the bribe. It was also alleged that the bribe demand was fixed for an amount of Rs.60 lakhs to be delivered to the CGST officials through accused CA.

Of the negotiated bribe of Rs 60 lakhs, Rs 30 lakhs was allegedly paid by the complainant’s cousin through an angadia. It was further alleged that the complainant was then allowed to leave the CGST office only the next day.

The CBI laid a trap and caught accused CA red-handed while accepting an amount of Rs. 20 lakh from the remaining bribe amount on behalf of CGST officials.

In addition, there was a controlled transfer of bribes to another accused private individual, who was supposed to pass the bribes on to CGST officials via the accused CGST officer (bribe recipient).

During further investigation, the accused Superintendent CGST (bribe recipient) called the other accused in private capacity to meet him near Oshivara Police Station in Mumbai and collect bribe. Thereafter, the accused Superintendent CGST was also arrested by the CBI team.

The CBI arrested all the above three accused involved in bribe-taking during the investigation. They were produced before the special court for CBI cases in Mumbai. The court remanded the arrested superintendents CGST and CA to police custody till September 10. The arrested private person was remanded in judicial custody.

Searches were carried out in nine offices and residential buildings of accused in Mumbai and its surrounding areas. Various incriminating documents were seized.