BHUBANESWAR: THE Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has named Centurion University, its accountant, a GST superintendent and several officials of GST and Central Excise of Bhubaneswar circle in its FIR in connection with the `10 lakh bribery case.Four persons, including three GST officials and an employee of Centurion university Ashutosh Padhy, have been arrested for their alleged involvement in the case.
CBI sources informed that the further probe is on to ascertain the involvement of others. Sources said Artabhanjan Kar, a Superintendent of GST and Central Excise Audit Commissionerate, had issued a notice to the university to submit certain documents for the financial year 2017-2018.
Subsequently, Kar had visited the institute along with his team for carrying out an audit earlier this month. He found out that the university had allegedly committed GST violations during the financial year 2017-18 as well as previous years and was liable to pay tax and penalty amounting to about `5 crore a year. Kar has been accused of demanding `10 lakh bribe from the account officer of the institute to settle the issue at a very less amount and suppress the matter.
On a tip-off, the Central agency had conducted a raid at a hotel in Kharavela Nagar on Tuesday and caught Kar, two other Superintendents of GST Pradip Kumar Acharya, and NN Sahoo along with the university’s account officer Padhy red-handed while exchanging `10 lakh.
Searches were conducted at the property of the accused and incriminating documents seized. They were remanded in judicial custody on Wednesday.