The Jalna Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) unit arrested an industrialist from Buldhana for offering a bribe of Rs 2.50 lakh to the assistant commissioner of the State Goods and Service Tax at Khamgaon in Buldhana on Wednesday. The arrested businessman has been identified as Praveen Madanlal Agrawal (44, Dal Mill owner, Khamgaon, Buldhana).
The State GST assistant commissioner of Khamgaon complained with the ACB, alleging that Bajrang Industries Mill owner Agrawal had evaded tax amounting to Rs 2.77 crore for the year 2017-18. The GST officer served him the first notice on June 24, 2022, and the second on August 17, 2022. As he did not respond to the notices, he was served the third notice to pay the outstanding taxes on February 10, 2023. Agrawal, not taking the notices seriously, was issued a notice of property seizure in December 2023. However, Agrawal offered a bribe of Rs 3 lakh to the assistant commissioner, who promptly reported it to the ACB.
On December 20, Agrawal went to the assistant commissioner's office and placed Rs 2.50 lakh on his table. ACB officers, who had laid the trap, immediately apprehended him. A case has been registered with the Khamgaon police station.
The action was executed under the guidance of ACB SP Sandeep Atole by Deputy SP Kiran Bidwe, Jalna, and his team, including Gajanan Ghaiwat, Shivaji Jamdhade, Ganesh Bujade, Ganesh Cheke, and others.
