CBI arrests GST superintendent in Rs 10 lakh bribery case

New Delhi, Dec 19 (PTI) The CBI has arrested a superintendent of GST in Mumbai for allegedly demanding a bribe of Rs 10 lakh from a businessman, officials said Monday.

The agency acted on a complaint from scrap trader Zakir Hussain Shah in Mumbai who had alleged that GST Superintendent B Someshwar Rao had demanded Rs 20 lakh from him to settle liability of Rs 1.25 crore, they said.

The complainant alleged that Rao and another official had threatened to arrest him in case he failed to make the payment to them, the officials said, adding that the accused allegedly refused to accept additional documents that chartered accountant of the dealer wanted to submit.

According to CBI, Shah then pleaded with Rao to reduce the bribe amount as he did not have the capacity to pay such a hefty amount. Rao allegedly reduced the bribe to Rs 9 lakh but later increased it to Rs 10 lakh for delay in payment.

After receiving the complaint, the CBI did a discreet verification of the allegation which prima facie appeared to be true, the officials said.

The agency later arrested Rao who has been sent to police custody by a special court in Mumbai, they said.