The LT Marg police arrested three Goods and Services Tax (GST) inspectors along with a tax consultant, two days after they allegedly conducted a raid at the angadiya's (courier services) office at Kalbadevi and took away ₹11 lakh in cash.
The four persons arrested late on Thursday have been identified as Hitesh Vasaikar, Macchindranath Kangane, Prakash Shegar, and Santosh Jagdale. Jagdale is a tax consultant while the others are GST inspectors, said LT Marg police officials.
On Tuesday evening, four unknown persons barged into the angadiya's office at Kalbadevi posing as Sales Tax officers, the officers then conducted searches at the office and asked the office staff to produce account books and cash available in the office accordingly the staff produced account books and ₹30 lakh cash available in the office.
The accused then without conducting any panchanama or sealing procedure allegedly took ₹11 lakh cash and left the office, said police.
The angadiya owner first contacted the GST office at Mazgaon where he was told that no such raid was conducted by them. He then approached LT Marg which registered an offence under section for impersonating government official (170), wearing garb or carrying token used by public servant with fraudulent intent (171), cheating by personation (419), cheating (420), and common intention (34) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and began their investigating.
During investigations, the police team went to the GST office at Mazgaon where they learnt that the officials were genuine however the raid was not official, following which police picked them up simultaneously.
"We have seized ₹11 lakh from them, they were produced before the court on Friday which granted them police custody. We have also added extortion charges to the case," said Deepak Nikam senior inspector of LT Marg police station.
