Graft case
Ahmedabad: A demand of Rs 40 lakh with a promise to make a departmental complaint disappear has triggered a CBI probe against a senior official of the department. The action was initiated after a CGST superintendent approached the CBI on Aug 25, claiming that a man who said he represented a senior GST officer demanded money to have a complaint against him closed. The CBI’s Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), Gandhinagar , registered a case against Govind Raval, who allegedly acted as the middleman, as well as unidentified public servants and private persons.
The superintendent, posted as advocate on record at the CESTAT Ahmedabad Bench, had received a vigilance communication from the CGST Ahmedabad (South) Commissionerate on July 27 seeking his response to allegations against him in connection with a corruption case. He submitted his reply on Aug 7, maintaining that he was innocent, according to the CBI FIR. On Aug 14, Raval allegedly contacted the superintendent and claimed that he himself had filed the complaint against him.
Raval allegedly said he was calling on behalf of a senior CGST officer and demanded Rs 40 lakh to “settle” the matter. A senior CBI officer said investigation would determine whether the demand was a private attempt to extract money or whether any government servant was involved. The agency has registered the case under the BNS provision relating to criminal conspiracy and Prevention of Corruption Act. Raval has not been arrested so far.