The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested a CGST superintendent and an alleged middleman and launched a search for senior IRS officer Vinay Kumar Kantheti in connection with an alleged Rs 40 lakh bribery case, hours after the Bombay High Court overturned a lower court order that had declared their arrests illegal.
Kantheti, an Additional Commissioner of Central Goods and Services Tax (CGST), along with Superintendent Rakesh Kumar Sinha and agent Narinder Rajput, was arrested by the CBI on August 27 in connection with the alleged bribery case. However, a special CBI court subsequently granted them bail, holding that their arrests were illegal because they had not been informed of the grounds for their arrest.
The CBI challenged the order before the Bombay High Court. On Wednesday, the High Court allowed the agency’s revision petition, quashed the special court’s order and remanded the accused to two days of CBI custody.
Following the High Court ruling, the CBI arrested Sinha and Rajput and took them into custody for further interrogation. Investigators also searched the residence and office of Kantheti, but the senior officer could not be traced.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the CBI said, “Pursuant to the High Court order, Rakesh Kumar Sinha and Narinder Rajput have been taken into CBI custody for custodial interrogation. Efforts are being made to trace and apprehend Vinay Kumar Kantheti, Additional Commissioner, CGST, in accordance with law.”
The CBI said the High Court, after examining the records, found that the grounds of arrest had been communicated to the three accused and that their family members and advocates had also been informed.
According to the CBI, the case originated from a complaint by a representative of a stone-quarrying company. The agency alleged that Sinha and Kantheti were involved in demanding a bribe to settle a GST-related matter concerning the company, which also involved royalty issues.
Investigators alleged that the officers initially demanded Rs 1.5 crore from the businessman. Following negotiations, the amount was allegedly reduced to Rs 40 lakh. The CBI said it verified the complaint before registering a case.
The agency further alleged that Sinha played a role in negotiating and reducing the amount demanded, while Rajput allegedly acted as an intermediary and accepted the Rs 40 lakh bribe on behalf of the officers.
The CBI’s latest action comes as the agency continues its investigation into the alleged bribery network. With Sinha and Rajput back in custody and efforts underway to trace Kantheti, investigators are expected to question the accused further and examine the circumstances surrounding the alleged demand and payment of the bribe.
