Bribery: Excise officers in net

The anti-corruption branch of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday arrested two officers of the Central Excise (service tax) Department...

The anti-corruption branch of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday arrested two officers of the Central Excise (service tax) Department,assistant commissioner BH Utpat and superintendent Prakash Barawkar,while accepting a bribe of Rs 25,000.

Officers of the Horizon Data Systems Private Ltd,Kothrud,had lodged a complaint with the CBI-ACB on Wednesday morning.

S C Gupta,Superintendent,CBI-ACB,said,Barawkar demanded Rs 30,000 as bribe from the company officials. The company deals in software. The demand was made as the company was due to receive a refund from the service tax cell of the excise department.

Gupta said negotiations were held in the chamber of Utpat where the bribe amount was reduced to Rs 25,000. Following this,the company officials approached the CBI-ACB).

A team led by Gupta laid a trap and arrested the two while accepting the bribe from the officials of the company at their office on Bund Garden Road.

The two have been booked under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act,1988. They will be produced in the court tomorrow.

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