A woman GST official was arrested by the Anti-Corruption Bureau for allegedly demanding and accepting a bribe from a trader to process a VAT refund, a senior official said.
Bharti Kolte (46), attached to the Sales Tax wing of the Goods and Services Tax department, had allegedly demanded a bribe of Rs 1.25 lakh from a trader who in turn approached the Thane unit of the ACB with a complaint, the official informed.
“A trap was laid on Wednesday at the GST office situated in Konkan Bhavan in Navi Mumbai. Kolte was nabbed when she accepted a sum of Rs 25,000 from the complainant,” the official said.
The official added that relevant sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act had been invoked against the arrested official and further investigations were underway.
