-SATISH HANDA
On the complaint of Manoj Kalra Managing Director of a pharmaceutical manufacturing company Research Medicine Private Limited at Industrial Area Rai in Sonepat district, CBI team from Panchkula registered a case against four officers of GST Central office at Rohtak Gurvinder Singh Sohal and Kuldeep Hooda both Superintendent, Rohit Malik and Pradeep both Inspectors allegedly taken Rs 9 lakh bribe threatening to involve Kalra under heavy amount of fine because of charging 12% GST instead of 16% on sale of few medicines. Information reveals that the gang of four used to threaten manufacturers to extract heavy amount of bribe as complained by large number of industry owners.
According to complainant, the team of four officers from Commissioner CGST Rohtak office visited their factory on August 6, 2020 and threatened to impose heavy amount of penalty on their firms demanding Rs 12 lakh bribe and finally the deal was finalized at Rs 9 lakh and they collected Rs 3 lakh currency notes lying with them and balance amount Rs 6 lakh was assured to be paid before August 14, 2020 after arranging money. Manoj Kalra lodged a complaint with CBI and Anti-corruption Branch officials at Panchkula when conspiracy to catch all four corrupt officers red handed while accepting balance amount of bribe on August 14 evening was framed in CBI office on August 10, 2020 advising complainant to record statements by the alleged accuse in portable spy camera along with DVR. According to complainant, recording of statements by four from time to time as regard remittance of payment at an early date was made saying that the same has to be shared with senior officers of the department. However, while talking to media persons CBI refused to disclose the names of such senior officers at this stage.
As per schedule and discussions on telephone the four officers of CGST office Gurvinder Sohal, Kuldeep Hooda, Rohit Malik and Pradeep arrived at the factory of Research Medicine Private Limited in two cars to collect Rs 6 lakh from Kalra on August 14, 2020 when entered their car and handed over bag containing currency notes and suspecting a foul smell seeing few suspicious persons left the place immediately along with Kalra and thrown the bag containing money in agriculture fields on the way and finally pushed Kalra also out of the vehicle in slow speed. However, CBI team arrested one of the accuse Kuldeep Hooda later produced in the court and remanded to police custody for four days and he was suspended with immediate effect, whereas another three managed to slip yet absconding.
CBI team interrogated him for over eight hours and during raid at his house in Sector 3 recovered Rs 65 lakh cash and gold jewellery. Three others are also likely to be suspended were transferred from Rohtak divisional office by the department in which Rohit Malik was transferred to Bhiwani and Pradeep transferred to Hisar. When media persons tried to have comments of Vijay Mohan Jain Commissioner Rohtak GST Division, he refused to say anything in this regard saying that that departmental action will be taken against all. CBI Inspector Naresh Kumar told media persons that36 paged FIR against four has been lodged with police at Panchkula and Kuldeep Hooda was remanded to police custody for four days.
Most of the industry owners appreciated the role of Manoj Kalra took drastic action against corrupt officials in government departments not only causing harassment to industry owners but also putting financial burden as well as mental tension on them, besides spoiling the image of state government and demanded chief minister Haryana should take stern action against such officers to wipe out corruption in government offices in the state.
