Assam: CBI arrests GST Commissioner S Raju in Guwahati

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested Goods and Service Tax (GST) Commissioner (Appeals), Guwahati, S Raju on September 29.

Notably, after a day-long raid at the GST Bhawan in the city, Raju was arrested along with many incriminating documents also seized.

The Commissioner along with a middleman was apprehended in an alleged bribery case involving Rs 3.83 lakh. 

CBI sources identified the middleman as Mahavir Jain.

The sources said that a case was registered against Raju and three middlemen after a contractor alleged that he had executed construction work related to NF Railway and raised bills. The Additional Commissioner, Central Goods & Service Tax, Dibrugarh raised a demand for Service Tax amounting to Rs 48,43,034. 

Aggrieved with the order of the Additional Commissioner, the complainant filed an appeal before the Commissioner (Appeals), CGST, against the adjudication order. It was further alleged that during one of the hearings of the said appeal, Commissioner Raju Shaktivel demanded a bribe of Rs 4,50,000, i.e., 10% of the demand of Service Tax through middlemen, which was further negotiated to Rs 3.83 lakh to settle the matter.