Mumbai: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday registered a case against an assistant commissioner, a superintendent and an inspector of Central Goods and Services Tax (CGST), Belapur Commissionerate, for allegedly demanding a bribe to complete the assessment process and dropping of demand (regarding service tax/penalties) of a transport firm, M/s Global Technology Services.
The accused officials have been identified as assistant commissioner Suhas Bhalerao, superintendent Rajesh Kumar and inspector Shubham Das Mahapatra.
About The Case
According to the agency sources, Bhalerao and Mahapatra, both from Belapur CGST, were arrested on March 15 while taking a bribe of Rs 1.5 lakh from one Jitendra S Pawar, in lieu of dropping the proceedings against M/s Shree Sainath Transport Company (regarding service tax/penalties).
“While the proceedings were in progress, Mahapatra disclosed that Bhalerao gave him Rs2 lakh, in the matter of M/s Global Technology Services on March 12 for further distribution between him (Mahapatra) and superintendent Kumar. Further, Mahapatra disclosed that Kumar accepted Rs1 lakh out of the said Rs 2 lakh," a CBI source said.
He added that Anurag Jain, a chartered accountant, on behalf of M/s Global Technology Services, had lodged a written complaint on March 15 to the CBI. It is alleged in the complaint that Bhalerao demanded Rs 15 lakh and settled to accept Rs 6 lakh to complete the assessment process and as well as for dropping of tax demand on Global Technology Services.
A CBI official said that Jain allegedly discussed the matter with the proprietor of Global Technology and paid Rs 6 lakh cash to Bhalerao on March 12 in his office. It is further alleged that Bhalerao told Jain that he will pass the order on March 13. That day when Jain contacted Mahapatra, he was informed that the order will be passed a day later. Thereafter, Jain visited the CGST office in Belapur and collected the revised order.
