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.He later allegedly lowered the demand, agreeing to accept Rs 10 lakh as a token amount and first instalment, with assurance that complaint would be closed after remaining payment, the FIR states. The alleged deal soon moved from phone calls to a face-to-face meeting.At a meeting in Gandhinagar on Aug 15, Raval allegedly displayed complainant’s personal and service-related details. He allegedly told the superintendent that CGST vigilance had sought evidence regarding the complaint and that he could submit material supporting the officer after receiving the money.The officer, instead, took the allegations to the CBI.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.The probe will now seek to establish whether Raval was allegedly attempting to extort money on his own or was actually acting at the behest of officials within the CGST department.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.
