CGST Officer Arrested By CBI In Guwahati In Bribery Case

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The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) made a significant arrest on Friday, apprehending Rahul Kumar, a Joint Commissioner of Central Goods and Services Tax (CGST) in Assam. Kumar, who was stationed in Dibrugarh, was arrested in Guwahati while engaged in a special assignment.

This arrest is tied to a bribery case that began in Mumbai, where Kumar is alleged to have accepted a bribe of Rs 60 lakh from a Chartered Accountant. The CA reportedly collected the money from a company while Kumar was posted in Mumbai.

The case follows the earlier arrest of CGST Superintendent Sachin Gokulka, who was taken into custody after abandoning his aide, a consultant who had accepted a bribe on his behalf. The CBI has also arrested the consultant, the CA, and three other GST superintendents in connection with this ongoing investigation.

Initially, the accused officials demanded a bribe of Rs 80 lakh but later settled on Rs 60 lakh. Kumar is expected to be presented before a special CBI court in Guwahati soon.

According to the CBI’s findings, the CGST officials released a businessman after receiving an initial bribe but subsequently demanded an additional Rs 30 lakh later that same day. In a bid to expose the corruption, the businessman approached the CBI, which facilitated the transfer of Rs 20 lakh to the CA.

When the consultant, Abhishek Mehta, arrived to collect the bribe, he was arrested by the CBI. During interrogation, Mehta admitted to delivering the bribe directly to Gokulka.

The FIR in this case names two Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officers, Additional Commissioner Deepak Kumar Sharma and Joint Commissioner Rahul Kumar, alongside three other CGST superintendents.

Also Read: Guwahati: CBI Files Chargesheet Against Ex-CGST Official In Bribery Case