In a major anti-corruption crackdown, Karnataka Lokayukta officials trapped and arrested a senior Commercial Tax officer for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 6 lakh in connection with a GST case.
Bharath Kumar Hegde, serving as Deputy Commissioner of Commercial Tax (GST), was caught during an operation conducted by the Lokayukta.
According to officials, the complainant, Vishwajeet Nayak (53), had been issued a notice alleging GST evasion of Rs 60 lakh.
It is alleged that the 48-year-old accused officer demanded a bribe of Rs 10 lakh to settle the matter, which was later negotiated down to Rs 6 lakh.
Following the arrest, a case was registered under the provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
Acting on the inputs, a trap was laid under the supervision of IPS officer Shiv Prakash Devaraj, Superintendent of Police, Lokayukta Bengaluru.
During the operation, the officer was caught while accepting the bribe money.
Lokayukta officials have confirmed that the investigation is in progress to gather further evidence and examine the extent of the alleged corruption.
