CBI Arrests 5 Senior CGST Officers Over Rs 50 Lakh Bribery Case Following Allegations of Misconduct

In a significant crackdown, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested five senior officials from the Central Goods and Services Tax (CGST) department in connection with an alleged ₹50 lakh bribery case. The arrested individuals include Deepak Sharma, an additional commissioner, and Rahul Kumar, a joint commissioner of the Indian Revenue Service, along with superintendents Bijender Janawa, Nikhil Agrawal, and Nitin Gupta. This case stems from a complaint lodged by a businessman from Goregaon, who alleged that CGST officers detained and verbally abused him for 18 hours, demanding ₹80 lakh in exchange for not arresting him and providing favorable treatment in an ongoing tax-evasion investigation. After negotiations, the amount was reduced to ₹60 lakh, and ₹50 lakh was paid. The CBI conducted raids at nine locations, recovering ₹30 lakh from the total bribe paid and seizing incriminating documents and digital devices. A special court in Mumbai granted bail to joint commissioner Rahul Kumar on technical grounds, while the other four accused remain in judicial custody.