Mumbai: CBI on Thursday arrested IRS officer Vinay Kumar Kantheti, additional commissioner of Central Goods and Services Tax (CGST) in Raigad, a CGST superintendent and a private person who allegedly accepted a Rs 40 lakh bribe from a businessman to settle a GST and royalty matter. The officials had initially demanded Rs 1.5 crore, which CBI verified before registering a case. The demand was subsequently reduced to Rs 40 lakh.On Friday, when they were produced in Special Court at Thane, the judge rejected CBI’s prayer for custodial interrogation and released them on bail, holding that the arrest was illegal. CBI officials said that they will challenge the bail order and stated that they had strong evidence against the three for their involvement in demandingand accepting the bribe. CBI had sought five days’ police custody, alleging a systematic act of corruption. The defence lawyers Rahul Agrawal, Jasmin Puraniand Harsh Shah, however, challenged the legality of the arrest on the grounds that CBI did not comply with the mandatory requirement of communicating the grounds and reasons for arrest.CBI searched the premises of the three accused and recovered an additional Rs 43 lakh in cash and jewellery worth around Rs 90 lakh. Most recoveries were made from superintendent Rakesh Kumar Sinha’s premises. CBI sources said that their team first caught and arrested private individual Narinder Rajput red-handed while accepting a bribe. After questioning him and examining details he provided, CBI team arrested the two officers.The bribe amount was to settle a GST issue involving the complainant’s stone-quarrying firm. After negotiations, Sinha allegedly reduced the demand. A representative of the firm approached CBI with a complaint. CBI said verification of the complaints confirmed that, along with Sinha, Kantheti was involved in the bribe demand.CBI issued a press release on Friday stating, “The accused public servants had arranged for collection of the bribe amount through a private person and accordingly directed the complainant. The CBI laid a trap and caught the accused private person red-handed while accepting an undue advantage of Rs 40 Lakh. The acceptance of the bribe amount was subsequently acknowledged by the accused Superintendent of CGST as well as the accused additional commissioner of CGST.”Vinay Kumar Kantheti, CBI confirmed he too was involved in the case. Subsequently, the CBI team arrested Kantheti and Sinha from their offices.CBI on Wednesday registered an FIR against CGST superintendent Rakesh Sinha for allegedly demanding Rs 1.5 crore to settle a GST issue involving the complainant’s stone-quarrying firm. After negotiations, Sinha allegedly reduced the demand. A representative of the firm approached CBI with a complaint.CBI sources said verification of the complaints confirmed that, along with Sinha, CGST additional commissioner was involved in the bribe demand. But after examining the communication of Rajput with Kantheti, the CBI confirmed him role in the case and decided to arrest him, said sources.The court also found no satisfactory justification for further custodial interrogation, particularly since the alleged bribe money had already been seized and mobile phones had been recovered from the accused. The CBI’s remand application was accordingly rejected.
