ACB Arrests Two State GST Inspectors for ₹25,000 Bribe to Settle Discrepancy

The Satara unit of the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has arrested two state tax inspectors for allegedly demanding a bribe of Rs. 25,000 from a trader. The officials asked for the money to correct differences in the trader’s Goods and Services Tax (GST) returns and to avoid a penalty.

The arrested officers have been identified as Rohan Satish Deokar and Akshay Mohan Phadtare. Both are posted at the Satara GST office and are residents of Degaon village in Satara district. A case has been registered against them at the Satara City Police Station.

According to Supriya Gawde, Inspector of the Satara ACB, the trader had a mismatch between GSTR-2B and GSTR-3B returns for the financial years 2021-22 and 2022-23. Due to this difference, the GST department issued a notice for penalty and interest.

When the trader visited the Satara GST office to resolve the issue, inspector Rohan Deokar allegedly demanded Rs. 25,000 to waive the penalty and close the matter.

The trader approached the Satara ACB and filed a complaint. The ACB team then verified the complaint. During the verification, Deokar increased the demand to Rs. 30,000 and later agreed to accept Rs. 20,000. The investigation also found that inspector Akshay Phadtare was involved in the bribe demand.

After confirming the details, the ACB laid a trap on Friday evening. When the inspectors demanded and agreed to accept the bribe, they were caught by the ACB team and taken into custody.

Both officers were arrested for demanding and accepting a bribe. Further investigation is being carried out by the ACB to find out if more officials are involved in the case.

The ACB has appealed to citizens to report any demand for bribes to its helpline. The department said strict action will be taken against any public servants found involved in corruption.

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