CBI Cracks Down on High-Profile GST Bribery Scandal in Jhansi

The CBI arrested five individuals, including a CGST deputy commissioner, in a Rs 70 lakh bribery scandal in Jhansi. The operation targeted a bribery syndicate demanding Rs 1.5 crore for GST-related favors. Seized assets include Rs 1.60 crore, property documents, and gold.

The Central Bureau of Investigation has made significant arrests in a large-scale bribery case tied to the GST office in Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh. Among those apprehended is a deputy commissioner of the Central Goods and Services Tax (CGST), Prabha Bhandari, part of a wider investigation into corruption and malpractice in tax evasion cases.

The operation, launched on Tuesday, involved undercover surveillance following allegations that a syndicate was soliciting Rs 1.5 crore to favor private businesses in GST evasion cases. The probe led to the arrest of Anil Tiwari and Ajay Kumar Sharma, superintendents in the CGST office, caught allegedly collecting a Rs 70 lakh bribe.

Beyond these arrests, the CBI also detained advocate Naresh Kumar Gupta and businessman Raju Mangtani. The subsequent searches yielded a haul of Rs 1.60 crore in cash, alongside crucial property documents and gold jewelry, underscoring the scale of the financial embezzlement.

(With inputs from agencies.)