Haridwar: A data entry operator posted in the GST department was arrested by the Vigilance team while allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 20,000 in Haridwar. The accused has been taken into custody and further investigation is underway.
According to officials, a Haridwar resident had filed a complaint stating that his firm, Himanshi Packaging Industry, which shut down in 2021, was informed about an outstanding VAT liability of Rs 1.76 lakh for the last three months before the implementation of GST. The complainant alleged that the accused, identified as Pramod Semwal, demanded Rs 1.20 lakh in cash to settle the old VAT dues and clear the matter.
Based on the complaint, the Vigilance team laid a trap and caught the accused red-handed while accepting Rs 20,000 as part of the alleged bribe amount. The arrest was made near the office of the Assistant Commissioner, State Tax, Sector-3, Haridwar.
Pramod Semwal, a resident of Siddharth Enclave, Dwarka Vihar near Football Ground, Jagjeetpur, Kankhal (Haridwar), had been working as a data entry operator through Upnal for nearly 18 years in the State Tax office. Officials said he was allegedly pressuring the complainant for money in the name of settling old VAT bills.
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The Vigilance department is continuing its probe into the matter.
