The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered a case against four CGST officials, including two Superintendent rank officials for allegedly carrying out unauthorised and illegal search of the office premises of a private company and to conclude the proceedings which they had illegally undertaken at the premises of the tax payers and attempted to obtain undue advantage from the tax payer.
According to the CBI sources, the complaint was filed in this regard by K.C. Johny, Chief Commissioner of Central Indirect Taxes & Customs Nagpur Zone, GST. Chief Commissioner Johny in his complaint dated February 27 stated that intelligence inputs was received by his office that four CGST officers working in different formations within this zone in Nagpur had conducted unauthorised search at the office premise of a private company situated at Abhyankar Nagar, Nagpur on January 07. To ascertain the facts, a vigilance team of CGST office visited the office of the said tax payer’s premises on 10.01.2025.
“During the course of preliminary enquiry, the CCTV footage of the premises was recovered by the vigilance team. Thereafter, a letter 10.01.2025 was obtained from the taxpayer confirming that four GST Officers had visited the premises of the said taxpayer and carried out unauthorized search on 07.01.2025. During enquiry it was revealed that four CGST officers had visited the premises of the taxpayer and carried out unauthorized and illegal search of the office premises of the taxpayer,” the complaint had stated.
“Enquiry further revealed that the visit and conduct of proceedings at the premises of tax payer had not been authorised by the competent authority of CGST. As per enquiry, the said four officers were not posted to charges involving any visit to premises of the taxpayer for any proceedings under the CGST Act. Thereafter, considering the act of erring CGST officers unwarranted, the competent authority placed them under suspension on 10.01.2025. Subsequently on 04,02.2025, the two erring inspectors who had been on probation were also terminated from the service. During the enquiry, material has been gathered which establishes attempt made by the said erring officers to obtain undue advantage from the taxpayer to conclude the proceedings which they had illegally undertaken at the premises of the taxpayer,” the complaint further stated.
Based on this complaint the CBI has registered an offence on charges of criminal conspiracy and attempt to obtain undue advantage by public servant under the relevant sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
