Deputy Commissioner of Commercial Tax GST caught taking Rs.6 lakh bribe by Karnataka Lokayukta
Officials of the Karnataka Lokayukta caught a senior Commercial Tax officer red-handed while allegedly taking a bribe of Rs.6 lakh from a businessman.
According to officials, the complainant, Vishwajeet Nayak (53), is a resident of Jayanagar. He had approached the Lokayukta alleging that a GST officer had demanded a bribe to clear a pending tax-related matter.
The accused officer, Bharath Kumar Hegde (48), serving as Deputy Commissioner of Commercial Taxes (GST) in Hubballi, had allegedly demanded Rs.10 lakh to settle an adjudication related to an inspection report, which had flagged tax evasion of approximately Rs.60 lakh. The bribe was later negotiated down to Rs.6 lakh.
Acting on the complaint, Lokayukta officials apprehended Hegde while he was allegedly taking the bribe amount. Hegde has been arrested.
