Mumbai: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) conducted searches in Mumbai and Pune after registering a case against a few persons, including two senior officials of the Directorate General of Goods and Services Tax Intelligence (DGGI), Pune, over allegations that they sought undue monetary advantage to the tune of Rs 1 crore from a firm’s representative for extending favours.
The accused had allegedly demanded the sum for closing the case registered against the complainant’s firm by the department, CBI officials said on Thursday.
Rs4 lakh and gold jewellery recovered
“CBI has conducted searches in an on-going investigation of a case at three locations, including at Mumbai and Pune, at the premises of the accused. A sum of around Rs4 lakh and gold jewellery were recovered from the premises of the then Deputy Director, DGGI, Pune,” a CBI official said.
The official added, “A case was registered on January 11 this year, against DGGI (Pune)’s then Deputy Director (an Indian Revenue Service batch of 2014) and then Senior Intelligence Officer, a private person and unknown others on a complaint.” The official further said, “It was alleged that the said public servants had demanded an undue advantage of Rs 1 crore from the complainant for not further harassing them and closing the proceedings against the complainant’s firm by DGGI, Pune.”
April 2022 case
The firm registered the complaint on April 20, last year, after which the CBI had verified its content. “The verification disclosed that the two accused, then officials of DGGI, Pune, had as part of a conspiracy, demanded and agreed to accept part payment of Rs25 lakh out of the total demand of Rs1 crore. The suspect officials had repeatedly called the complainant and his colleague in connection with the enquiry pending with them.”
“The facts and circumstances in the case disclosed commission of offences, including criminal conspiracy and demand of undue advantage under the Indian Penal Code and the Prevention of Corruption Act. The permission as mandated under the PC Act is obtained from the Competent Authority,” the official said.
