Mumbai: Case against state tax assistant commissioner, others for demanding Rs 1 crore bribe

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The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) in Mumbai has officially charged Arjun Suryawanshi, an assistant commissioner of state revenue, and several staff from the Maharashtra GST department. Per a PTI report, the complaint focuses on an alleged demand made by Suryawanshi for a large bribe of Rs 1 crore from a corporate director to resolve a pending tax issue, stated the official statement.

According to the report, the probe stated that Suryawanshi and his team raided a company with over Rs 20 crore Rs 20 crore in delinquent taxes between July 5 and August 7, last year. Despite several reminders, the firm's director failed to pay the pending tax, prompting GST officials to visit his workplace and apartment.

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Suryawanshi allegedly sent a WhatsApp message to the company's director on August 21 seeking Rs 1 crore to settle the tax situation. Although no money exchanged hands, the inquiry corroborated the bribe demand, prompting the filing of the FIR. Further inquiries into the situation are presently underway, the report added.

The PTI report further stated that on August 21, Suryawanshi allegedly sent a WhatsApp message to the company's director, demanding Rs 1 crore to settle the tax matter. Although no money changed hands, the investigation confirmed the bribe demand, resulting in the registration of the FIR. Further investigations into the matter are currently ongoing.

Meanwhile, in Navi Mumbai, police arrested a 32-year-old man who owned a private hostel after the manager of the establishment meant for paying guests allegedly ended his life by hanging himself. The deceased, aged 26, was found dead at his residence in Kharghar after which the owner was arrested on charges of abducting the victim and abetting his suicide, they said.

According to the report, the accused suspected that the deceased had misappropriated Rs 60,000 of the hostel's funds which were later recovered from him. He also claimed the manager had been taking an additional Rs 5,500 from the facility's customers over and above cost of staying, NRI Sagri police station's sub-inspector Subhash Shelar told PTI.

The owner, his friends, on Sunday abducted the deceased, from Ulve and took him to a flat in Divale village and assaulted him with an iron pipe. After this incident, he was depressed and thus ended his life, the cops told PTI quoting the complaint filed by the dead manager's mother.