In a significant crackdown on corruption within the tax administration, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has dismantled a major bribery network operating from the Central Goods and Services Tax (CGST) office in Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh. The operation, conducted on Wednesday, led to the arrest of five individuals, including a senior Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer.
The Trap and Arrests
Acting on a tip-off received on Tuesday, the CBI set a meticulous trap. The agency had received concrete information that senior CGST officials, in active collusion with middlemen and private persons, were demanding illegal gratification from businesses facing scrutiny in GST evasion cases. The accused had allegedly sought a bribe amounting to Rs 1.5 crore in exchange for providing undue favours. These favours included shielding the firms from coercive action and ensuring favourable outcomes in assessment and investigation proceedings.
The CBI's trap proved successful when they caught two CGST superintendents red-handed while they were accepting a partial payment of Rs 70 lakh in cash. Investigators revealed that this money was being collected on the direct instructions of the deputy commissioner posted at the Central GST office in Jhansi, who is accused of being the mastermind behind the illicit demand.
Key Accused and Massive Recoveries
The individuals arrested in this high-profile CBI bribery racket have been identified as:
- Prabha Bhandari (IRS officer/Deputy Commissioner)
- Anil Tiwari (CGST Superintendent)
- Ajay Kumar Sharma (CGST Superintendent)
- Naresh Kumar Gupta (Advocate)
- Raju Mangtani (Private Trader)
Following the arrests, the federal agency launched extensive searches at multiple locations connected to the accused across Jhansi. These raids yielded immediate and substantial results. The CBI recovered approximately Rs 90 lakh in additional cash, along with several incriminating property-related documents and a large quantity of jewellery and bullion.
Ongoing Investigation and Total Seizure
The follow-up searches conducted by the CBI led to further cash recoveries, pushing the total amount of seized money to a staggering Rs 1.60 crore. Officials confirmed that the search operations were still underway at the time of reporting, indicating the possibility of more recoveries and evidence coming to light. This case highlights a serious attempt to subvert the GST assessment process for personal gain, undermining the integrity of the tax administration system.
The crackdown sends a strong message against corruption within government departments, especially those involved in critical revenue collection. The CBI's swift action in Jhansi is expected to have a deterrent effect and is part of a broader effort to cleanse the system of such malpractices that burden honest taxpayers and erode public trust.
