Kerala GST Officer Arrested for Accepting Bribe to Release Seized Lorries:

Kerala GST Officer Arrested for Accepting Bribe to Release Seized Lorries The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) Kerala has recently caught a GST Enforcement Officer red-handed while he was accepting a bribe of Rs 3.5 lakh. The officer had demanded the money in exchange for releasing two lorries with scrap that were seized by the GST Authority.

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The officer is being identified as Suman P. N., an enforcement officer with the Walayar GST Enforcement Squad and a resident of Kurudikkad in the Palakkad district. A complaint was registered by the scrap dealer alleging that the GST officer had asked for Rs 4 lakhs as a bribe to release his lorries. The complainant and his friend had a scrap business and had collected scrap from different dealers with proper invoices. However, while the scrap was being transported in two lorries to a company in Pollachi, the GST Enforcement Squad at Kuzhalmannam in the Palakkad district stopped the vehicles on January 6. The seized vehicles were taken to the Walayar GST office, where they were seized. As per the VACB officials, the lorry drivers were asked for the owner's phone number and were allowed to leave. The complainant and his accountant were directed to visit the GST office along with the required documents. The documents were reviewed, and the complainant was asked to leave the office.

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When the complainant contacted Suman again, he allegedly raised a demand for Rs 23 lakh as a fine. The complainant requested that the officer reduce the fine, claiming that he had provided all the required documents. However, Suman allegedly said that the matter can be "managed" if the complainant pays a bribe of Rs 4 lakh. The accused GST officer called the complainant and asked to give the bribe directly at the informed location. The complainant refused to give the bribe and reported this matter to the Palakkad Vigilance Deputy Superintendent of Police. Acting on this information, authorities set up a trap during which Suman was caught red-handed by the VACB officials while he was taking Rs 3.5 lakh from the complainant.