CBI arrests GST official in Andhra's Vijayawada for demanding bribe

Dec 11, 2021

New Delhi [India], December 11 : Central Bureau of Investigation on Saturday arrested GST Superintendent for allegedly demanding and accepting a bribe from a businessman for issuing a Registration Certificate to his shop in Vijayawada.
The arrested accused has been identified as John Moses, Superintendent of GST.
In the FIR, CBI stated that on December 10, they received a complaint from G.Nageswara Rao alleging that he is a goldsmith and he intended to get his shop 'Dinesh Jewellery Works' registered with GST. On November 29, he applied for registration of his shop with the GST Department, Vijayawada, with the help of one Sudhir.
On December 8, one official from the GST office visited his shop and made him talk to John Moses, Superintendent of GST, over the phone. Then John Moses demanded a bribe of Rs.10,000 for giving the Registration Certificate to his shop. When he expressed his inability to pay the bribe amount of Rs.10,000, the superintendent felt angry and told the GST official to come back. When he called again to the superintendent over the phone, John Moses told to meet him in his office on the next day.
"As he is not willing to pay the bribe, he approached State Anti Corruption Branch official at Vijayawada, who advised him to meet GST Superintendent as he asked. Accordingly, he visited GST Office and met John Moses, Superintendent in his office," mentioned in the FIR.
During negotiations, John Moses, Superintendent reduced the amount and demanded him to pay a bribe of Rs.8,000 on December 10 in his office. Then again he met Ravi Babu, State ACB Inspector, who directed him to approach CBI, Visakhapatnam on point of jurisdiction. CBI team laid a trap and caught GST Superintendent.
"He has been arrested and will be produced before a magistrate," said a CBI official.