Four GST officials held for ‘Rs 1.5 cr extortion, illegal arrest’

Bengaluru, Sep 12 (IANS/WISHAVWARTA) The Bengaluru Police have arrested four officers attached to the office of the Director General of GST Intelligence, Bengaluru Zonal Unit (Central GST), an official statement said on Wednesday. The police arrested a Superintendent of Central Tax from the South Commissionerate, Bengaluru Zone; two Senior Intelligence Officers from GST Intelligence, Bengaluru Zone; and an Intelligence Officer from GST Intelligence, Bengaluru Zone. These officers were arrested on September 10, and several articles were seized from them. A case has been registered at Byappanahalli police station, and the accused officers are booked under Sections 115 (2), 126 (2), 140 (2), 3 (5), 308 (2), and 319 (2) of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita. The complaint was filed by Keshav Tak, an employee of a private company located in the 11th Sector on JB Nagar Main Road. In his complaint, Keshav Tak stated: “On August 30, strangers claiming to be officers attached to the GST and ED barged into the residence and seized our mobile phones. They dragged me, Pavan Tak, Mukhesh Jain, and Rakesh Manak Chandani forcefully to their vehicles and later locked us in separate rooms.” “Another person introduced himself as Manoj, a ‘Senior GST officer’, and took me to Indiranagar. He put my mobile in flight mode and connected it to the internet through a hotspot. Following his directions, I called my friend Roshan Jain on WhatsApp and asked him to arrange Rs 3 crore. Later, they brought me back to my workplace.” “On August 31, at 10.30 a.m., the accused took me in their car to various places and brought me back. They had forced Roshan Jain to take the money. When he delayed, the accused assaulted us,” Keshav Tak said. Roshan Jain later informed them that he could not arrange the money, and the accused assaulted Keshav Tak and others again. Roshan then asked them to collect Rs 1.5 crore. On September 1, at 2.30 a.m., accused Mukhesh Jain went to collect the money. The accused released three of the four individuals they had held in illegal captivity, according to the complainant. After receiving the money, documents were prepared, and signatures were taken. “I inquired about the incident with various officers. The accused had threatened that they were GST and ED officers and took away money and other articles. Later, a complaint was lodged with the Byappanahalli police station. The case was handed over to the special wing, CCB, afterward,” the police statement said. Commenting on the development, Bengaluru Police Commissioner B. Dayananda stated that the accused were taken into police custody after being presented in court. Considering the sensitivity of the case, it was handed over to the CCB. –