E-Paper
ED likely to register PMLA charges in Jhansi CGST bribery case
Officials said the ED has compiled detailed records of assets linked to the main accused – CGST deputy commissioner Prabha Bhandari, an Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer, and two superintendents, Anil Tiwari and Ajay Sharma. The agency is examining properties held in their relatives’ names to identify suspected proceeds of crime.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has started tracing the money trail in the CGST bribery case in Jhansi, where over ₹1 crore in cash was recovered during a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) operation, sources said. A formal case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) is likely to be registered once further evidence is gathered, potentially leading to the attachment of properties believed to be linked to alleged illegal gains.
Officials said the ED has compiled detailed records of assets linked to the main accused – CGST deputy commissioner Prabha Bhandari, an Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer, and two superintendents, Anil Tiwari and Ajay Sharma. The agency is examining properties held in their relatives’ names to identify suspected proceeds of crime.
The probe follows a CBI raid at the Jhansi GST office based on trader complaints. The CBI arrested Bhandari, Tiwari and Sharma while they were allegedly accepting a bribe of ₹70 lakh. The agency said the total cash recovery during the action exceeded ₹1 crore.
The CBI laid a trap on December 30, 2025, after inputs suggested CGST officials were demanding ₹1.5 crore from a trader for favourable handling of GST matters. The superintendents were allegedly caught accepting ₹70 lakh as the first instalment.
During interrogation, the arrested officers allegedly named Bhandari as the key conspirator. Investigators claim that when one superintendent informed her over a monitored phone call that the money had been received, she instructed that the cash be converted into gold and delivered to her.
Searches at premises linked to the accused led to the seizure of around ₹1.60 crore in cash, besides gold, silver, jewellery and property documents. The CBI also arrested advocate Naresh Kumar Gupta, alleged to be an intermediary, and trader Raju Mangtani.
Investigators suspect the accused officials misused their authority to initiate GST enforcement proceedings and then offered to “manage” cases in return for bribes, allegedly with intermediary help.
