New Delhi: The CBI has registered a corruption case against an inspector of Central Goods and Services Tax (CGST) who allegedly took bribes to allow the import of containers ordered by a Delhi-based businessman without any checking and amassed illegal assets of over Rs 38 lakh.
Deepak Sharma, Inspector, CGST, posted in Uttar Pradesh, and his wife Manju Devi, both residing in Rohini in Northwest Delhi, have been found to possess Rs 38.87 lakh worth of assets disproportionate to his income.
He also allegedly collected Rs 2.32 lakh from a company as illegal gratification in three instalments as bank transfer through NEFT, the CBI said.
At least five import containers which Sharma allowed entry without any checking were brought to the Inland Container Depot in Dadri, Uttar Pradesh, between January 19, 2022 and July 13, 2022, the CBI said.
The CBI FIR said a written complaint dated December 12, 2024, has been received from Rajesh Kumar Meena, Inspector of Police, CBI, New Delhi, who conducted a preliminary inquiry, pointing towards offence related to criminal misconduct – punishable with imprisonment for at least one year.
A preliminary complaint was filed with CBI against Sharma on January 31, 2024, against Sharma under sections 7, 7A, 9, 10 and 12 of the Prevention of Corruption Act and penal provisions related to conspiracy on the basis of reliable source information revealing alleged offence of criminal conspiracy and bribing a public servant. It was referred to Inspector Meena for verification.
As per the complaint registered by the CBI in January, Sharma, Inspector at Central Excise, Customs, Goods and Service Tax while being posted as Inspector (Import) at Noida Customs Commissionerate, ICD, Dadri, Gautam Budh Nagar, UP, took costly gifts and monetary advantages from Delhi-based businessman Harpreet Singh Talwar alias Kabir Talwar in exchange for not inspecting the import containers of the latter’s firm.
Talwar looks after the daily affairs of the company Talwar International, situated at 6,608, Neem Wala Chowk, Factory Road, Nabi Karim, Delhi, and is a resident of East Patel Nagar. The company’s proprietor/director is Baneet Singh Talwar.
The CBI noted in its FIR that Sharma worked as a primary teacher in Municipal Corporation of Delhi for four years, from 2010 to 2014, before joining the CGST department.
During the check period for his assets, Sharma had disproportionate assets worth Rs 38.87 lakh which was almost 51 per cent more than his known sources of income.
The preliminary CBI complaint said, “Most of the assets have been acquired by accused Deepak Sharma in the name of his wife Manju Devi.”
(IANS)
