LUCKNOW: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Saturday arrested a top official of Goods and Services Tax department in Kanpur along with eight others on the charges of taking bribe from companies.
Commissioner of GST and central excise Sansar Chand, the IRS (Indian Revenue Services) officer of 1986 batch, was booked along with his four subordinates — three GST superintendents and one office staff member, and five others.
According to the sources, name of Avinash Kaur, Chand’s wife, also figured in the FIR lodged in the case by the CBI but she has not been arrested as of now.
The sources further claimed that Sansar Chand used to run an organised bribery racket. The officer had allegedly assured full protection to local entrepreneurs and industrialists and immunity from paying GST if they would bribe him on regular basis.
"Three superintendents used to collect the money on Chand’s behalf and the money was transferred via hawala channels to GST commissioner's wife Avinash Kaur,” the sources said.
The commissioner used to seek mobile phone, fridge, TV set as part of gratification to Kaur.
The commissioner and others have been booked under section 120-B of IPC and Sections 7, 11 and 12 of Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.
The CBI sources said that the arrests were made following a number of complaints of bribery against the officer and his subordinates along with five private persons.
"It was alleged in the complaints that recently, IRS officer had taken a bribe of Rs 1.5 lakh from some local businessman," CBI sources said and added that agency has started an investigation in this regard.
Other eight accused have been identified as Aman Shah superintendent, GST and central excise, Ajay Srivastava, superintendent, GST and central excise, Rajeev Singh Chandel, superintendent, GST and central excise, Saurabh Pandey, office staff GST and central excise commissionerate, Manish Sharma, director M/S Shishu Soap and Chemical private ltd (private individual), Amit Awasthi (private individual), Aman Jain (private individual) and Chandra Prakash alias Monu (private individual).