Rs 40 lakh bribe: CBI arrests two GST officials, accomplice in Maharashtra

Posted on by Vividh Bharathi

New Delhi, Aug 28 (IANS) The CBI arrested an IRS officer serving as Additional Commissioner of Central Goods and Services Tax (CGST), another GST official and their accomplice in Raigad district of Maharashtra, in a Rs 40 lakh bribery case, an official said on Friday.

Vinay Kumar Kantheti, Additional Commissioner of GST (IRS-2009), Rakesh Kumar Sinha, Superintendent of GST, and private person Narinder Rajput were arrested on Thursday, the CBI official said in a statement.

The CBI registered the instant case on August 26 against the accused Superintendent of CGST on the allegations that he had demanded an undue advantage of Rs 1.50 crore for settling the GST/royalty matter relating to the stone-quarrying firm of the complainant.

After negotiation, the demand was subsequently reduced to Rs 40 lakh, the CBI said.

The accused public servants had arranged for collection of the bribe amount through Rajput and accordingly directed the complainant to contact the former.

The CBI laid a trap and caught the accused private person red-handed while accepting an undue advantage of Rs 40 lakh, said the statement.

The CBI said that the acceptance of the bribe amount was subsequently acknowledged by the accused Superintendent of CGST as well as the accused Additional Commissioner of CGST.

All three accused persons have been arrested and are being produced before the competent court.

Searches conducted at the premises of the accused resulted in the further recovery of cash amounting to Rs 43 lakh and jewellery worth Rs 90 lakh, the CBI said.

In a separate case earlier, the CBI on Thursday arrested Chief Engineer (Electrical) and Superintending Engineer (Electrical) of BSNL, Bhopal, in a Rs 75,000 bribery case.

The CBI registered the case on allegations that the accused Chief Engineer (Electrical) and Superintending Engineer (Electrical) posted at BSNL, Bhopal, demanded an undue advantage of Rs 2 lakh each for themselves and a co-accused from a Jabalpur-based firm which executed Operation & Comprehensive Maintenance (OCM) and electrical installation-related work for BSNL.

The CBI said the bribe amount was demanded to process pending bills of the firm for 14 different works.

The CBI laid a trap and caught both accused BSNL officers in Bhopal red-handed while accepting an undue advantage of Rs 75,000 each as part payment of the demanded bribe of Rs 2 lakh from each accused.

Searches were later conducted at the residential and office premises of the accused persons in Bhopal, Lucknow and Kanpur, the CBI said.

–IANS

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New Delhi, Jan 11 (IANS) Delhi Environment Minister and AAP leader Gopal Rai on Saturday presented the 10-year report card for Babarpur Assembly constituency, highlighting the developmental works undertaken by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government. Gopal Rai is the two-time legislator from Babarpur Assembly seat in city’s Shahdara district.

The report card, titled ‘Kaamo ka Report Card’, will be delivered to every household in Babarpur, he informed and also elaborated on the initiatives undertaken by him over the last decade.

Speaking to IANS, Rai explained how Babarpur, once considered one of the most backward constituencies, has witnessed significant progress.

“Earlier, the political agenda here revolved around communal narratives, with little focus on development. We prioritised basic amenities in the first five years — building roads, providing water, and installing sewerage systems,” he said, adding that more than 900 roads and lanes have been developed, with just 10 per cent of work remaining.

He highlighted infrastructure improvements, such as replacing outdated cement pipelines with modern ones, covering 90 per cent of the area. To enhance security, a network of CCTV cameras and streetlights were installed, addressing dark spots across the constituency.

Rai mentioned that Babarpur now boasts 16 operational Mohalla Clinics, benefitting lakhs of residents. Educational facilities have been upgraded, including modernised schools, a library, and a laboratory, with plans underway for new institutions.

“Health infrastructure has also improved with the establishment of a mini-hospital, offering specialised treatment by 10 doctors from Zee TV Hospital,” he said.

“Community facilities have been expanded, with a 1,500-capacity open space for weddings and a modern auditorium under construction in northeast Delhi for various functions. A mini stadium has also been inaugurated to promote sports activities among the youth,” Rai added.

Rai stated that AAP’s governance style prioritises grassroots engagement.

“Before presenting the budget, we hold meetings in every locality to understand the people’s needs. Our action plans are based on their feedback,” he said.

Taking a swipe at the BJP, Rai said, “The BJP governs 20 states but has failed to deliver. Instead of working, they focus on abusing AAP and Arvind Kejriwal. Delhi’s people want a government that delivers, and that is why they support AAP.”

He also dismissed Congress as a non-contender in Delhi.

“The Congress does not have a single MLA in Delhi. While the INDIA bloc is united, it’s clear that only AAP can lead the bloc to victory in Delhi,” he remarked.

With Delhi’s Assembly elections slated for February 5, and votes to be counted on February 8, AAP is aiming for a third consecutive term following its landslide victories in 2015 and 2020.

Meanwhile, Congress is striving to regain relevance, and the BJP is working to challenge AAP’s stronghold in the national capital.

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Contraband worth Rs 5.15 crore seized in Tripura, Mizoram; one arrested

Agartala/Aizawl, June 17 (IANS) Assam Rifles have seized contraband worth over Rs 5.15 crore in Tripura and Mizoram and arrested a drug peddler during the past 24 hours, officials said on Tuesday.

An Assam Rifles spokesman said that the para-military troops, acting on secret information, launched an operation and seized 170 cartons of banned foreign cigarettes near Chandrapur on the outskirts of Agartala.

The seized foreign cigarettes, valued at Rs 5.1 crore, were handed over to the Customs Department for further investigation and necessary legal action.

“This successful operation underlines Assam Rifles’ unwavering commitment to curb illegal activities and safeguard the nation’s economic interests by maintaining strict vigilance along the India-Bangladesh border,” said an Assam Rifles statement.

In another incident, the Assam Rifles, in coordination with Excise and Narcotics Department officials, while conducting a vehicle check, seized 19.2 grams of heroin with an estimated value of Rs 14.4 lakh from Zote areas under eastern Mizoram’s Champhai district.

A drug peddler was also arrested in connection with the seizure.

The apprehended individual and the seized contraband have been handed over to the Excise and Narcotics Department for further investigation and legal proceedings.

Officials suspect that the contraband, both the foreign cigarettes and heroin, were smuggled from neighbouring Myanmar.

Various drugs, including methamphetamine tablets and heroin, are often smuggled from Myanmar and illegally ferried to various parts of India and Bangladesh through the northeastern states.

Myanmar, which shares a 1,643 km unfenced border with four northeastern states — Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Nagaland, and Mizoram — serves as a key transit point for drugs and other contrabands entering India. Myanmar’s Chin state is a hub for smuggling of varied drugs, exotic wildlife animals and many other contraband through six Mizoram districts — Champhai, Siaha, Lawngtlai, Hnahthial, Saitual and Serchhip.

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J&K: First batch of 144 Hajj pilgrims return home

Srinagar, June 2 (IANS) The first batch of J&K Hajj pilgrims returned home on Tuesday as Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and senior officials received them at Srinagar International Airport.

The return phase of Hajj pilgrims from Jammu and Kashmir began today with the first flight carrying 144 pilgrims landing at Srinagar International Airport.

According to the Jammu and Kashmir Hajj Committee, arrival operations for pilgrims from Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh will continue till June 16.

This year, a total of 4,641 pilgrims from Jammu and Kashmir performed Hajj, including 2,583 men and 2,058 women.

Chief Executive Officer of the J&K Hajj Committee, Dr Shujaat Ahmad Qureshi, said that 3,952 pilgrims, including 21 women who undertook the pilgrimage without a Mehram, will return through the Srinagar embarkation point.

Of these, 3,631 pilgrims belong to Jammu and Kashmir, while 321 are from Ladakh. One pilgrim from Punjab is also scheduled to arrive through Srinagar.

Officials said 1,061 pilgrims from Jammu and Kashmir will return through other embarkation points across the country, including 1,010 via Delhi, 49 via Mumbai, and 2 via Bengaluru.

The Hajj Committee has made arrangements at Srinagar Airport for the reception of the returning pilgrims. Transport facilities, medical assistance, help desks, and distribution of Zamzam water have been put in place to facilitate their arrival.

The return operations came amid concerns over baggage handling and transportation due to operational restrictions at Srinagar Airport linked to ongoing runway maintenance works and temporary limitations under the existing NOTAM.

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