Jajpur: Odisha Vigilance on Sunday arrested Binay Bhusan Tripathy, Asst. Commissioner, CT & GST Enforcement Unit, Jajpur along with two associates on the charges of bribery, evasion of taxes, and causing loss to the government.
Recently, on 07.05.2024 at 01 PM, Tripathy intercepted one goods Vehicle bearing Regd. No. OD-04-L-2233 carrying MS Scrap weighing about 22,240 Kgs of worth Rs 8,89,600 at Revena, Jajpur. He detained the vehicle at a dhaba on the NH and contacted the ownerand demanded Rs 2.5 lakh as bribe to release the vehicle.
However, when the bribe demand was not met, in contravention to the Laws of GST, Sri Tripathy, with an ulterior motive, illegally sold the entire Scrap to another Scrap dealer, and realized nominal tax and misappropriated an amount of Rs 5,85,356.00 (approx). Tripathy is alleged to have similarly collected huge bribe amounts from various transporters/suppliers on grounds of evasion of taxes, by flouting rules and norms of GST.
Vigilance probe has also revealed that, Tripathy was parking the bribes collected as cash deposits in various bank accounts of his family members, and later converting them to fixed deposits. In one such account opened in the name of Madhab Tripathy, father of the Asst Commissioner. Binay Bhusan Tripathy, during his examination, denied any knowledge of such account in his name and also about regular cash deposits being made in the same. The account passbooks etc. have been seized from the possession of the Asst Commissioner.
In this connection Cuttack Vigilance PS Case No 22 dated 16.08.2024 has been registered. Other accused arrested who conspired along with the Asst Commissioner, include Jyoti Pattnaik, who falsely claimed ownership of the goods, and Md. Golam Sad, a scrap dealer, who received the goods. Further Investigation continuing.
