CBI Detains Driver, Charges Two CGST Officials in Rs 2 Lakh Bribery Case
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Synopsis
The CBI has arrested a driver in connection with a bribery scheme involving Rs 2 lakh, where two CGST officials from Meerut are implicated. The driver was caught accepting the first installment of Rs 1 lakh on behalf of the officials.
Key Takeaways
- CBI arrests driver accepting bribe
- Two CGST officials implicated
- Bribe amount: Rs 2 lakh
- First installment of Rs 1 lakh delivered
- Investigation led to cash recovery
New Delhi, Feb 13 (NationPress) The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has taken into custody a driver while he was in the act of accepting a bribe of Rs 1 lakh - which is the initial installment of a total Rs 2 lakh bribe - on behalf of two implicated public officials from the Central Goods and Service Tax (CGST) in Meerut, as confirmed by an official on Thursday.
The complainant, businessman Anil Raghav, who resides in Meerut, reported that Aftab Singh, the Superintendent of CGST in Meerut, along with Vikas, an inspector, had solicited a bribe of Rs 2 lakh under the guise of issues related to the GST filings of his business, Home Care Solution.
While delivering half of the bribe to Aftab Singh's driver, the driver was apprehended.
Raghav stated that Inspector Vikas contacted him via WhatsApp to demand the bribe, using threats of punitive measures due to alleged GST discrepancies linked to his company's sales and purchase records.
As part of the investigation, the accused officials directed the complainant to hand over the Rs 2 lakh bribe to Aftab Singh's driver, as reported by a CBI official.
The CBI set up a trap and caught the driver red-handed while he was accepting the Rs 1 lakh (the first installment of the total bribe) from the complainant, right outside the CGST office in the Meerut Division.
The driver has been arrested, and a case has been filed under the charges of criminal conspiracy and the Prevention of Corruption Act, according to the CBI's statement.
Search operations were conducted by the CBI at the residential and official locations of the accused in Meerut, leading to the recovery of cash and incriminating documents relating to investments in various properties.
Following the complaint from Anil Raghav, the allegations were discreetly verified by a branch officer, confirming the involvement of Superintendent Aftab Singh and Inspector Vikas in the alleged crime.
The preliminary inquiry report from the CBI, ACB, Ghaziabad stated, “The facts presented prima facie indicate the commission of cognizable offences punishable under section 61(2) of BNS 2023 and section 7 of the PC Act 1988 (as amended in 2018)… thus, a formal case is registered.”
