The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested a Central Goods and Services Tax (CGST) Superintendent and three others, including two Chartered Accountants (CA), for allegedly extorting money from a Mumbai trader.
The accused persons have been identified as the CGST Superintendent (Mumbai South) Amit Dalal, CA Gopal Bhatter, his employee Hemant Motivaras, and another CA named Ramesh Parmar.
It is alleged that the official had demanded ₹15 lakh from the complainant for not enhancing his GST evasion/tax lability and for not arresting him in the same matter.
The Superintendent instructed one of the CAs, Mr. Bhatter, to collect the money from the complainant on his behalf.
Acting on the complaint, the CBI laid a trap and arrested the CA’s employee when he was receiving ₹7 lakh.
The second CA was also caught while delivering an amount of ₹5 lakh to Mr. Motivaras on the instructions of his employer, who had allegedly been told by the Superintendent to collect the money.
The Superintendent fled Mumbai to evade the probe, but was tracked down by the agency to Delhi and arrested.
The CBI conducted searches at six locations, including the residential and office premises of the accused persons in Mumbai and Delhi, leading to the seizure of ₹30 lakh in cash.
The accused were produced before a court, which remanded them to CBI custody till March 28.
