4 GST Officials Arrested for ‘Rs 1.5 Cr Extortion, Illegal Arrest’ in Karnataka

Bengaluru: Four officers attached to the office of the Director General of GST Intelligence, Bengaluru Zonal Unit (Central GST) were arrested by the Bengaluru Police on charges of extortion and illegal arrests.

The arrested persons include 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.

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 against them was was filed by Keshav Tak, an employee of a private company. 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.