Indore : An assistant commissioner with commercial tax department was caught red-handed while accepting an amount of Rs 3500 as bribe by Lok Ayukta police here on Monday. He had demanded the bribe to settle a tax assessment of advertisement agency.
DSP (Lok Ayukta) B S Parihar said that assistant commissioner Surendra Singh Patel had demanded a bribe of Rs 6000 from ad agency owner Rahul Verma for settling a tax assessment for financial year 2013-14.
After negotiation, the deal was fixed at Rs 3500. But Verma before handing over the amount to Patel reached Lok Ayukta police and lodged a complaint against the official.
Moved by the complaint, Lok Ayukta sleuths laid a trap to nab the corrupt official. They sent Rahul with the demanded amount to commercial tax office in Chetak Chamber and as Patel accepted the bribe Lok Ayukta sleuths standing in civil dress outside his office barged inside and caught him red-handed.
The bribe amount was seized and Patel was booked under relevant sections of Prevention of Corruption Act. He was also arrested but later released on bail.
