Lokayukta sleuths in MP nab senior sales tax officials taking bribe

Three senior sales tax officials were on Tuesday arrested after they were caught accepting a bribe of Rs 3 lakh from a businessman in Madhya Pradesh’s Sagar district.

Three senior sales tax officials were on Tuesday arrested after they were caught accepting a bribe of Rs 3 lakh from a businessman in Madhya Pradesh’s Sagar district.

The arrested have been identified as sales tax department deputy commissioner HS Thakur, assistant commissioner Jalaj Rawat and tax consultant advocate Pankaj Kukreja.

Superintendent of police in the Lokayukta office, Geetesh Garg said that Suresh Yadav, a grain merchant and owner of Shiva Trading Company had lodged a complaint against the trio around 20 days back.

Yadav, in his complaint had said that when he started a menthol business about three months ago, Thakur had demanded a bribe of Rs 5 lakh from him in lieu of allowing him to run his business smoothly.

Further, Thakur threatened Yadav that he would frame him in a false case if his demands were not met.

Meanwhile, assistant commissioner Jalaj Rawat also joined the deal, which was finally set at Rs 3 lakh per month. The officials also allegedly asked for an additional Rs 1.5 lakh for the business conducted in the past three months.

However, when Thakur called Yadav to Sagar to deliver the promised amount, Lokayukta sleuths accompanied him to his residence, where they also found Rawat and tax consultant advocate Pankaj Kukreja and arrested them.

A case has been lodged against the three accused under the Prevention of Corruption Act sections 7, 12, 13(1D) and 13(2). The three have been granted bail, said Garg.