In Maharashtra, the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has registered a bribery case against an Assistant Commissioner of the State Tax and other officers from the State GST department. The accused allegedly sought a bribe of Rs 1 crore from a director of a company to resolve an outstanding tax issue, as per an official statement on Tuesday.
A case under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act was filed against Arjun Suryawanshi, Assistant Commissioner of State Tax (Investigation Branch), and additional officers on February 2, according to the official statement.
The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) initiated an FIR following a letter from the Special Commissioner of State Tax and Chief Vigilance Officer to the Director General of Police (ACB) in Maharashtra, requesting an investigation into the alleged corrupt practices involving officers of the investigation branch of the state tax.
The investigation into the bribery case unveiled that Suryawanshi and his team conducted raids from July 5 to August 7 of the previous year on a company with a tax liability exceeding Rs 20 crore.
Even after numerous reminders, the director of the company failed to settle the outstanding tax. Subsequently, officials from the GST department visited both his office and residence, according to the official.
On August 21, Suryawanshi reportedly sent a WhatsApp message to the director of the firm, demanding a sum of Rs 1 crore to resolve the tax-related issue, as per the official.
The bribe demand was substantiated, although no money changed hands, during the investigation, following which the FIR was lodged. Further inquiry into the matter is ongoing, he added.