Lucknow commercial tax officer arrested while accepting Rs 2 lakh in lieu of passing GST refund

The Vigilance Establishment of the Uttar Pradesh Police on Tuesday arrested Deputy Commissioner Commercial Tax of Lucknow Dhanendra Kumar Pandey red-handed while accepting a bribe of Rs 2 lakh in lieu of passing GST refund, a senior officer of the Vigilance Establishment said.Superintendent of Police SP of Vigilance Establishment, Lucknow unit, Arvind Chaturvedi, told PTI that the UP Vigilance Establishment is taking trap action against public servants across the state under the governments zero tolerance policy against corruption.He said an anti-bribery helpline has been issued for this.

The Vigilance Establishment of the Uttar Pradesh Police on Tuesday arrested Deputy Commissioner (Commercial Tax) of Lucknow Dhanendra Kumar Pandey red-handed while accepting a bribe of Rs 2 lakh in lieu of passing GST refund, a senior officer of the Vigilance Establishment said.

Superintendent of Police (SP) of Vigilance Establishment, Lucknow unit, Arvind Chaturvedi, told PTI that the UP Vigilance Establishment is taking trap action against public servants across the state under the government's zero tolerance policy against corruption.

He said an anti-bribery helpline has been issued for this. A representative of an export company called on this number and informed that a bribe of Rs 2 lakh was being demanded by the deputy commissioner of commercial tax in lieu of passing the GST refund of his company.

According to the SP, the company had claimed for GST refund of about Rs 20 lakh. This refund was to be approved by Deputy Commissioner (GST) Zone 20 Dhanendra Kumar Pandey posted at the Commercial Tax Office, Mirabai Marg in Lucknow. Pandey had demanded a bribe of Rs 2 lakh from the company representative.

The SP said this information was given to the vigilance headquarters by the company representative. Subsequently, a team was formed and after completing the legal process, they raided the commercial tax office around 4 pm on Tuesday and arrested Pandey red-handed while accepting a bribe of Rs 2 lakh.

Chaturvedi said an FIR was registered against the accused under the Anti-Corruption Act at the Vigilance Police Station, Lucknow Sector.