Sales-tax officer caught taking Rs1.75 lakh bribe in Ahmedabad

A sales tax officer at the sale tax office near Apna Bazaar was caught taking Rs1.75 lakh bribe by Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) of Ahmedabad city on Wednesday afternoon.

The officer had demanded the sum form a city-based construction businessman to issue him a VAT registration number.

ACB said assistant commissioner of sales tax, Navneet Patel demanded the bribe money from businessman Suresh Patel who had approached him seeking a VAT (value-added tax) registration number for his under-construction residential building. Patel lodged a complaint with the ACB in this matter.

After receiving the complaint, ACB laid a trap and asked Patel to go to Navneet with Rs1.75 lakh. Just when Navneet accepted the cash from Suresh, ACB officials caught Navneet red-handed and filed a compliant against him.

The operation took place at the sales tax office at 11th floor, B block in the Bahumali Building near Apna Bazar.