CBI Arrests CGST Inspector Along With Representative of Private Firm in Alleged Bribery Case

CBI registered a case against four accused including Assistant Commissioner, Superintendent, and Inspector.

New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested two persons including the Central Goods & Services Tax Inspector of Tirupati GST Commissionerate in a case related to an alleged bribe, the Central probe agency said on Tuesday.

CBI registered a case on December 17, against four accused including Assistant Commissioner, Superintendent, and Inspector, all of the office of Commissioner of Central Tax at Tirupati GST Commissionerate in Tirupati, and a representative of Chittoor-based private firm and unknown public & private persons on allegations of demanding and bribing of public servants for extending undue favours to the private company and other parties, the CBI spokesperson informed.

The accused have been identified as Arisetty Jagannadha Prasad alias A.J. Prasad (Assistant Commissioner), Modavathi Jagan Nayak (Superintendent), Mada Balaji (Inspector), Ganeshram Mahender Choudhary (representative of a private company), and Unknown Public & Private Persons

It was alleged that public servants, in connivance with each other, were inspecting the premises of various establishments, firms, and companies and collecting various documents. Subsequently, they were allegedly calling the owners of the firms to attend CGST Office, Tirupati and demanding illegal gratification to show undue favour to them, the CBI said in a statement.

In November, this accused Inspector visited the premises of said firm along with other officials and collected documents, about which he informed the accused Assistant Commissioner and accused Superintendent. Further, the accused Inspector allegedly demanded Rs 10 lakh from the accused representative of a Chittoor-based private firm to settle the matter of the firm allegedly found to be working from the premises of another firm, it said.

CBI sleuths laid a trap and the accused Inspector and the accused representative of the private firm were intercepted while the transaction of bribe took place between them and the bribe amount of Rs 3,20,000 was recovered from the Inspector.

The accused Inspector and representative of a private firm have been arrested. They will be produced before the Special Judge for CBI Cases in Kurnool on December 18, the spokesperson informed.

Searches were being conducted in Tirupati and Kadapa at the residential and office premises of the accused and certain incriminating documents have been recovered so far. Further investigation is underway, it added.