ED books four GST officials who posed as its sleuths to extort ₹1.5 crore from Bengaluru businessman

The four went to the businessman for a "fake" raid claiming that they were from the ED and allegedly extorted ₹1.5 crore from him by "threatening" him.

Published on: Sep 12, 2024, 16:53:19 IST

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The Enforcement Directorate Wednesday registered a money laundering case against four arrested Goods and Services Tax (GST) officials who allegedly extorted ₹1.5 crore from a businessman here by impersonating as ED sleuths, official sources said.

They will be questioned after the ED gets their custody and the agency will look for their assets that can be attached under the anti-money laundering law. (Representational image)

Sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) have been pressed against the accused taking cognisance of the FIR filed by the Bengaluru City Crime Branch against them, the sources said.

The four went to the businessman for a "fake" raid claiming that they were from the ED and allegedly extorted ₹1.5 crore from him by "threatening" him, the agency sources said.

They will be questioned after the ED gets their custody and the agency will look for their assets that can be attached under the anti-money laundering law, they said.

The four GST officials were arrested by the Bengaluru City Crime Branch on charges of kidnapping and extortion on Wednesday.

The arrests by the police came following a complaint filed by a businessman at Byappanahalli police station of Bengaluru East division.

"The person has alleged that about a week back about four to five persons came to his house and forcefully took him around the city in two vehicles and also took him to his office and there they demanded a huge amount of money," Bengaluru Police Commissioner B Dayananda said.

Speaking to reporters here, he said: "Subsequently after giving about ₹1.5 crore, they have let him go. Based on the complaint a case was registered. Keeping in mind the sensitivity of the case it was handed over to the City Crime Branch."

The City Crime Branch confirmed from senior GST officials that no such raid was authorised, he said, adding "hence it was found that these people have intentionally done this act to gain illegal money."

The arrested include a superintendent rank officer apart from inspector and senior intelligence officer rank staffers of the GST.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yamini C S
Yamini CS is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with nearly six years of experience in digital journalism. She is part of the India News desk, where she works on a wide range of stories cutting across civic issues, city-based developments, politics, governance, public policy, breaking news, trending topics, and international affairs that have an impact on India. Her role involves tracking fast-moving developments, verifying information from official and on-ground sources, and presenting news in a clear, accessible format for a digital-first audience. A significant part of her work includes handling live blogs during major news events, such as elections, court verdicts, political developments, civic disruptions, protests, weather-related alerts, and unfolding national or international incidents. Through live coverage, she focuses on timely updates to help readers follow complex stories as they evolve. Before moving to the broader India News desk, Yamini was associated with the Bengaluru desk at Hindustan Times, where she extensively covered urban governance, infrastructure, traffic and transport issues, weather events, public grievances, and civic administration in the city. This experience strengthened her grounding in city reporting and sharpened her focus on citizen-centric journalism. She began her career as a correspondent with Reuters after completing a postgraduate diploma in journalism from the Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media. Her early training instilled a strong emphasis on accuracy, sourcing, and news ethics, which continue to shape her reporting style. Outside of work, Yamini enjoys reading across genres, listening to music, and spending time with her family, which help her maintain balance in a fast-paced newsroom environment.Read More

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