Tax officer-lawyer nexus busted, CBI traps duo in bribery case

Representational Image

New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) busted a nexus between the Central Excise & Service Tax Commissionerate, Chandigarh and a lawyer who allegedly conspired to force a person to pay a bribe to settle a transaction involving over Rs 11.4 lakh.

The CBI laid a trap and caught the advocate, Sunil Arora, red-handed while demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 80,000 from the complainant.

CBI also booked Rajiv Kr Meharwal, Assistant Commissioner at CGST, Chandigarh who was in cahoots with the advocate.

The complainant alleged that his “firm was allotted tender pertaining to the water supply/sanitation work etc., by Municipal Corporation, Chandigarh and the said works were exempted from service tax as per notification of Government of India”.

However, he allegedly received a demand notice from CGST, Chandigarh advising him to pay service tax of Rs 11,44,898.

He further alleged that Arora informed him to give a bribe of Rs 1 lakh for getting the matter settled.

“It was also alleged that the Advocate demanded money at the behest of said Assistant Commissioner Rajiv Kr Meharwal and subsequently, even the said official asked the complainant to deliver the bribe amount of Rs 80,000 to the advocate,” the CBI said.

Based on the complaint, the CBI laid a trap and caught the lawyer during the crime. The agency carried out searches at the premises of both accused at Panchkula, Delhi and Chandigarh “which led to the recovery of incriminating documents”.