CGST superintendent held by CBI (Img: Internet)
New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has apprehended a Superintendent of the Central Goods and Services Tax (CGST) department in Balasore, Odisha, for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 50,000 from a complainant seeking the release of a GST refund.
According to officials, the action was carried out on Thursday following a complaint submitted to the investigating agency.
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The CBI said the accused officer, along with an Assistant Commissioner of CGST, had allegedly demanded the bribe for processing and releasing a GST refund amounting to nearly Rs 16 lakh for the complainant’s company.
Based on the allegations, the agency registered a case on May 8 and initiated a verification process before launching a trap operation.
Officials stated that the complainant had approached the CBI after allegedly being pressured to pay money in exchange for clearing the pending refund amount.
After registering the case, the CBI organised a trap operation in Balasore. During the operation, the accused Superintendent was allegedly caught red-handed while accepting the bribe amount of Rs 50,000 from the complainant.
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The agency confirmed that the officer was immediately apprehended after the exchange of money. The operation was conducted under close surveillance and in the presence of independent witnesses as part of standard anti-corruption procedures.
The CBI has not yet disclosed further details regarding the role of the Assistant Commissioner named in the complaint. Officials said the investigation is ongoing and additional evidence is being examined.
The agency is expected to question other officials linked to the matter and verify documents related to the GST refund process.
