The tax official and private consultant were arrested.
Rajkot:
In a major crackdown on corruption, the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) caught Mukeshkumar Manbodh Kumar, a Superintendent of CGST in Rajkot, and Akash Kaloliya, a private tax consultant, for accepting a bribe of Rs 20 lakh to settle a fraud inquiry.
The trap was executed on April 28 at the Creative Complex near the Rajkot bus station, following a complaint from a citizen who refused to pay the illegal gratification.
The case originated when the CGST Superintendent allegedly demanded Rs 25 lakh to settle an investigation regarding unpaid GST and the creation of fraudulent bills. After negotiations, the bribe amount was settled at Rs 20 lakh. The official instructed the complainant to hand over the cash to Kaloliya, who was acting as a middleman in the illicit transaction.
Under the supervision of Assistant Director JD Mewada and Deputy Director Baldevsinh Vaghela, an ACB team led by Inspector AA Khokhar successfully intercepted the transaction. The entire bribe amount of Rs 20 lakh was recovered on the spot. Both the central government official and the consultant have been apprehended and charged under the relevant sections of the law.
