Bhubaneswar: Vigilance Sleuths apprehended an Assistant Commissioner of State Tax, Bhubaneswar-IV Circle, for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 25,000 from a bakery shop owner. The bribe was demanded in exchange for exempting the fine and penalty related to tax dues amounting to Rs 2,27,147.
The bakery shop owner had approached Assistant Commissioner Sarita Barik, seeking consideration for the tax liability, upon which she demanded the bribe. The shop owner then lodged a complaint with the Vigilance, which laid a trap. Barik was caught red-handed while accepting the bribe in her car near Aakash Institute at Madhusudan Nagar in Bhubaneswar.
A case has been registered against Barik under the Prevention of Corruption Act, and an investigation is currently underway. Simultaneous searches are being conducted at three locations linked to her to probe into disproportionate assets.
