Expensive Photocopying?

By Vijay Kumar

CENTRAL Excise officers had seized records from a factory and the poor assessee wanted photocopies of the seized documents for some statutory purpose. The Central Excise Authorities usually don't recognise the existence of other Government departments, which would also like to seize records. The assessee approached two Superintendents of Central Excise for the photocopies. The copies turned out to be extremely expensive for the assessee as well as the Superintendents. The Superintendents collected Rs. 15,000/- from the assessee – only to be caught red-handed by the CBI. The CBI also recovered Rs. 3 Lakhs from the car of one of the officers. (Please see our story Nagpur CBI arrests two Central Excise Superintendents in bribery case)

A bribe need not always be for a favour; it can even be for what is yours by right!