CHENNAI: The Commissioner of Central Goods and Services Tax (CGST), Chennai Zone, S Ravi Selvan, has been placed under suspension based on a complaint of sexual harassment filed by a fellow woman IRS officer.
The Chief Vigilance Officer of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) issued the suspension order on Wednesday with immediate effect as a disciplinary proceeding was pending against Ravi Selvan. The Principal Chief Commissioner of CGST (Kolkata zone) will be in-charge of CGST (Chennai zone) during the suspension period.
Ravi has also been ordered not to leave the headquarters without obtaining prior permission from a competent authority.
Sources in the department said the woman officer lodged a complaint on May 24 alleging that the sexual harassment took place at the Customs House in December, 2021. Ravi has been suspended after an internal inquiry committee recorded the statements of fellow officials.
Meanwhile, Ravi Selvan has refuted the allegations in his letter to the Chairman of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), a copy of which is available with TOI. He stated that he was not holding the office of customs commissioner (appeals) in the Customs House as claimed by the woman officer, but was the Principal Commissioner, Chennai Outer GST Commissionerate located in Anna Nagar, at the time when the complainant claims the incident happened.
He has maintained that the woman officer never worked under him and that the complaint has been made with a mala fide intention to evade departmental action for allowing a fraudulent application under Sabka Viswas (Legacy Dispute Resolution) Scheme (SVLDRS).
(The victim's identity has not been revealed to protect her privacy as per Supreme court directives on cases related to sexual assault)
