CBI Arrests Central Excise Superintendent - Bribe of 1 Lakh

By Vijay Kumar

THE Central Bureau of Investigation has arrested a Superintendent of Central Excise, Khamgaon (Maharashtra) for demanding & accepting a bribe of Rs.one lakh from the complainant.

The complainant alleged that the Superintendent of Central Excise demanded a bribe of Rs.5 lakhs from him for not imposing penalty/excise duty on his plant. CBI laid a trap and the accused was caught red handed while demanding & accepting a bribe of Rs. One Lakh as first instalment from the complainant. Searches were conducted at the office & residential premises of the accused and incriminating documents recovered.

The arrested accused was produced before the Court and remanded to Judicial Custody.

Can you believe it - A superintendent demanding a bribe of Rs. 5 Lakhs and if this was to waive penalty as stated by CBI, obviously some higher officers are involved, for no superintendent can impose or waive a penalty that could attract a bribe of Rs. 5 lakhs. It is heard that bribe amounts have galloped very high and audit parties routinely demand bribes ranging from 10 lakhs to 30 lakhs.

The mindless confirmation of Show Cause Notices by adjudicating authorities has ensured that corruption thrives in the field. The revenue that can be collected by all the notices in the department is not even ten per cent of the total revenue. The Government should consider delinking adjudication from the department.