CBI arrests Kanpur GST commissioner, 2 superintendents in bribery racket

CBI claimed Kanpur GST commissioner Sansar Chand was running a bribery racket and used to collect quarterly and monthly payments for giving “protection” to industrialists.

Eight persons, including a Goods and Services Tax (GST) commissioner, were arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) late on Friday and early Saturday for allegedly collecting “protection money” from industrialists in the city.

The CBI arrested eight persons, including tax officials, for allegedly taking “protection money” from industrialists in Kanpur. (Representational Photo)

The arrests took place after the agency conducted raids at various locations in New Delhi and Kanpur, confirmed CBI in a statement. The raids also led to the recovery of ?58 lakh and several incriminating documents, including diaries, pen drives and documents of properties worth several crore rupees.

All the arrested accused were produced in the CBI-designated courts in Lucknow and Delhi.

The CBI claimed Kanpur GST Commissioner Sansar Chand was running a bribery racket and used to collect quarterly and monthly payments for giving “protection” to industrialists.

Apart from Chand, two GST superintendents — Ajay Srivastava and Rajeev Singh — were also arrested from their residences in upscale Sarvodaya Nagar and Kakadeo localities here.

Another GST superintendent, Aman Shah, and Chand’s wife, Avinash Kaur, were named in the FIR but are yet to be arrested. Kaur has been named for allegedly receiving expensive gifts from industrialists. Others arrested include director of Shishu Soaps and Chemicals Manish Sharma, GST office staff Saurabh Pandey, brokers Amit Awasthi, Aman Jain and Chandra Prakash Monu.

Chand and his group used private parties for the systematic collection of money, said the CBI. “Their broker Awasthi used to put pressure for payments while Jain and Chandra Prakash used to transfer funds through hawala channel and paid money to Chand’s wife at her house in New Delhi,” CBI sources said.