Vigilance Raids At 5 Places Linked to CT & GST Assistant Commissioner

Bhubaneswar: Officials of Odisha Vigilance Department raided five locations linked to Binay Bhusan Tripathy, Assistant Commissioner CT & GST Enforcement Unit, Jajpur on allegations of bribery, tax evasion, and misappropriation of funds.

According to reports, Tripathy, during his posting as Assistant Commissioner of CT & GST Enforcement Unit, had intercepted a vehicle carrying MS Scrap worth Rs 8.89 lakh on May 7, 2024.

Instead of following proper procedures, he allegedly contacted the owner of the seized goods and demanded a payment of Rs 3.20 lakh as tax, in addition to a bribe of Rs 2.50 lakh to release the vehicle and material. When the owner failed to meet the bribe demand, Tripathy allegedly sold the entire consignment of scrap to another dealer, pocketing the tax amount and misappropriating the remaining sum of Rs 5.85 in a clear violation laws and ethics.

The vigilance officials are continuing searches at Tripathy’s government quarter, paternal house, farmhouse, flat, and village residence.

These simultaneous raids are being conducted by seven Deputy Superintendents of Police, 14 Inspectors, and 25 other staff. The investigation has also revealed that Tripathy may have collected huge bribes from various transporters and suppliers on grounds of tax evasion.