CBI Arrests CGST Officers Akshay Dhiman and George Kumar for Bribery in Solan, Himachal Pradesh

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested two officers from the Central Goods & Services Tax (CGST) office in Solan, Himachal Pradesh. The officers, Akshay Dhiman, an Inspector, and George Kumar, a Superintendent, were caught demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 8,000 from a complainant.

The complainant alleged that the officers initially demanded Rs 12,000 for processing and approving the CGST registration number of his firm. They threatened to reject the registration if the bribe was not paid. During a visit to the CGST office, the bribe amount was reduced to Rs 8,000, and the complainant was asked to bring the money to the office in Solan.

The CBI laid a trap and caught the Inspector red-handed while accepting the bribe. Searches were conducted at the official and residential premises of the accused in Solan, Mohali, and Una District, leading to the recovery of incriminating documents and articles.

Both officers were arrested and presented before the Competent Court in Shimla. The case was registered under Section 61(2) of the Bhartiya Nayaya Sanhita (BNS) 2023, read with Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (as amended in July 2018).