CBI and GST in War as Agency Nabs GST Men in Conspiracy with Middleman, CA and Senior Officials

· FIR in Mumbai Area Focussed on Rs. 60 Lakh Case

[ABS News Service/09.09.2024]

A central GST (CGST) superintendent, accused of detaining a businessman for 18 hours and demanding a bribe of Rs 60 lakh, was nabbed by CBI last week after a dramatic chase in the middle of the night near Oshiwara police station.

In his bid to escape, the official, Sachin Gokulka, dumped one of his aides – a consultant Abhisekh Mehta who had allegedly accepted the bribe on his behalf - on the road but was soon caught by the CBI team in pursuit.

The consultant and a chartered accountant (CA) were also arrested, and an FIR was filed against two IRS officers - additional commissioner, CSGST, Deepak Kumar Sharma, and joint commissioner Rahul Kumar -as well as three other CGST superintendents.

Rahul Kumar, currently posted in another state but who previously worked in Mumbai, is accused of facilitating the deal by contacting Sharma. CBI has searched the premises of Sharma, the four superintendents and the other two aides.

As per a complaint, Gokulka and the other three GST superintendents - Nitin Kumar Gupta, Nikhil Agrawal and Bijender Janawa - detained a Goregaon businessman for 18 hours on Sept 4 and threatened to arrest him if he failed to pay a bribe of 60 lakh - to settle a pharmaceutical company's issue. The businessman was allegedly abused and slapped multiple times, and coerced into calling a relative to arrange 30 lakh, which was to be delivered to a middleman, chartered accountant (CA) Raj Aggarwal, through hawala.

After receiving the initial amount, the CGST officials released the Goregaon businessman the following day, instructing him to arrange another 30 lakh by that evening. He could only arrange for 20 lakh, which he handed over to Superintendent Aggarwal, who was supposed to pass on the money to the consultant, Abhisekh Mehta. CBI caught Mehta who is said to be the conduit for Superintendent Gokulka.

Gokulka, accompanied by two women, arrived in a car at the spot around 2.30am on Sept 6. He asked Mehta, who was waiting in another vehicle, to join him. The CBI team, which was in pursuit, managed to nab Consultant Mehta and subsequently traced Superintendent Gokulka.

CBI produced Gokulka, Aggarwal and Mehta in court on Sept 6. They were demanded in the agency's custody till Tuesday.