ACB arrests assistant commissioner of sales tax department for taking bribe

Jaipur: The Rajasthan anti-corruption bureau (ACB) on Saturday arrested assistant commissioner of sales tax department, Kapil D Asarsa, after he was allegedly caught red-handed taking a bribe of Rs 15,000 from a trader in Jhalawar. Kapil was allegedly demanding from trader, Saurabh Agarwal, for disposing of a case against him. The stock at the trader’s shop mismatched with the stock details in the books. To reduce the tax penalty, the sales tax officer was demanding Rs 1.5 lakh and harassing the trader, the ACB officials said.

Saurbh, proprietor of MK Trades Asian and Nerolac Paints, had approached the ACB and lodged a complaint against Kapil a few days ago.

A survey had been conducted by the sales tax department at Suarabh’s shop in March last year. Due to some anomalies in the stock, the sales tax officer threatened to impose taxes and penalties. He demanded a bribe of Rs 1.5 lakh to reduce the penalty amount, an ACB officer said adding that Kapil had already taken Rs 1 lakh from the trader.

“He was harassing the trader and threatening him. We verified the complaint by asking the trader to give the officer Rs 10,000. Once the complaint was verified, a joint team of ACB’s Jhalawar and Kota branch laid a trap and caught Kapil accepting a bribe of Rs 15,000 from Saurabh at his office in Mini Secretariat on Friday,” said the ACB officer.

The officer added that Kapil Asarsa was taken into custody and arrested.

“He was booked under various sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act. Searches were carried out at some places belonging to him in Ajmer and Jhalawar. Further investigation is going on,” said the officer.

Kapil had been posted in Jhalawar as the assistant commissioner for the past one and a half years.