Whose Money Is It Anyway? GST Officials Land in Trouble After Theft Complaint Uncovers ₹39 Lakh in Cash
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What began as a routine theft complaint has spiralled into a tangled web of accusations, suspicions, and an investigation into disproportionate assets — all centred around two GST officials who now find themselves on the wrong side of a probe. Stay Updated with the Latest Audit Report Formats & Audit Trials Requirements! Click here On June 10, Umesh Narayan,...
What began as a routine theft complaint has spiralled into a tangled web of accusations, suspicions, and an investigation into disproportionate assets — all centred around two GST officials who now find themselves on the wrong side of a probe.
Stay Updated with the Latest Audit Report Formats & Audit Trials Requirements! Click here
On June 10, Umesh Narayan, a superintendent in the GST department, filed a police complaint alleging that ₹6.9 lakh worth of cash, jewellery, and a laptop had been stolen from his residence in Wadala. The incident showed no signs of forced entry, leading police to suspect that a duplicate key had been used.
Soon, the investigation pointed toward Narayan’s colleague and neighbour, Deepak Dahiya, who resided on the same floor and had access to a spare key to Narayan’s flat. CCTV footage and call data records further narrowed the list of suspects, showing Dahiya as the only other person entering the premises on the day of the alleged theft.
When questioned, Dahiya reportedly admitted to the theft. However, the investigation took an unexpected turn when police, during a search of his flat, recovered ₹39 lakh in cash hidden under his bed. Asked about the source of the money, Dahiya stated that ₹5 lakh was his personal savings — and that the remaining ₹34 lakh belonged to Narayan.
Narayan, however, denied any knowledge of the amount. With both officials distancing themselves from the money, police were left with more questions than answers.
Ultimately, in a supplementary statement, Narayan is said to have admitted that ₹34 lakh of the recovered cash was his. This admission has now drawn the attention of the Central Bureau ofInvestigation (CBI), which has begun a separate inquiry into whether Narayan possesses assets disproportionate to his known sources of income.
Dahiya was arrested on June 13 and granted bail on June 22. He has since been suspended from service. The police, meanwhile, have filed a 50-page chargesheet charging Dahiya with theft and house trespass under Sections 305(a) and 331(3) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The ₹39 lakh in seized cash has been deposited with the treasury.
Investigators believe Narayan may have initially attempted to mask the existence of unaccounted cash by reporting a theft involving his wife's jewellery. With the CBI now involved, both officials are facing deeper scrutiny — not only for the theft itself, but for the questionable source of funds involved.
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