CBI nabs CGST official seeking Rs 60 lakh bribe after dramatic chase

The CBI apprehended a central GST (CGST) superintendent who was accused of holding a businessman for 18 hours and extorting a Rs 60 lakh bribe, last week. The arrest followed a dramatic late-night chase near Oshiwara police station.

In his bid to escape, the official, Sachin Gokulka, dumped one of his aides - a consultant who had allegedly accepted the bribe on his behalf - on the road but was soon caught by the CBI team in pursuit. The consultant and a chartered accountant (CA) were also arrested, and an FIR was filed against two IRS officers - additional commissioner, CSGST, Deepak Kumar Sharma, and joint commissioner Rahul Kumar -as well as three other CGST superintendents.

CGST officials coerced bizman into arranging Rs 30L for release

Rahul Kumar, currently posted in another state but who previously worked in Mumbai, is accused of facilitating the deal by contacting Sharma. CBI has searched the premises of Sharma, the four superintendents and the other two aides.

As per a complaint, Gokulka and the other three GST superintendents - Nitin Kumar Gupta, Nikhil Agrawal and Bijender Janawa - detained a Goregaon businessman for 18 hours on Sept 4 and threatened to arrest him if he failed to pay a bribe of 60 lakh - reduced from the original demand of 80 lakh - to settle a pharmaceutical company's issue. The businessman was allegedly abused and slapped multiple times, and coerced into calling a relative to arrange 30 lakh, which was to be delivered to a middleman, chartered accountant (CA) Raj Aggarwal, through hawala.

After receiving the initial amount, the CGST officials released the businessman the following day, instructing him to arrange the remaining 30 lakh by that evening, which he was asked to deliver to Aggarwal.

The businessman approached CBI. He could only arrange for 20 lakh, which he handed over to Aggarwal, who was supposed to pass on the money to a consultant, Abhisekh Mehta. CBI caught Mehta when he arrived to collect the money from the CA. He revealed that he was to hand over the bribe directly to Gokulka.

In the presence of CBI officials, Mehta spoke to Gokulka over the phone, who asked him to turn up near Oshiwara police station for the bribe handover. CBI then set a trap.

Gokulka, accompanied by two women, arrived in a car at the spot around 2.30am on Sept 6. He asked Mehta, who was waiting in another vehicle, to join him. When Mehta got into his vehicle with the amount, the official sensed something amiss and sped away. After a while, he asked Mehta to get out of the car with the money and drove away. The CBI team, which was in pursuit, managed to nab Mehta and subsequently traced Gokulka.

CBI produced Gokulka, Aggarwal and Mehta in court on Sept 6. They were remanded in the agency's custody till Tuesday.

(With TOI inputs)