Bhubaneswar: Odisha Vigilance sleuths on Saturday launched searches at five locations linked to Binay Bhusan Tripathy, Assistant Commissioner of CT & GST Enforcement Unit at Jajpur.
Vigilance sources said that the raids are being conducted on the allegation of siphoning off government money amounting to over Rs 5.85 lakh.
The search operation was initiated after the Vigilance officials verified the allegation of loss caused by Tripathy without collecting taxes and penalty from scrap goods.
Verification showed that, during the incumbency of Tripathy as Assistant Commissioner of CT & GST Enforcement Unit, Jajpur, he intercepted a goods vehicle scrap weighing about 22,240 kgs worth Rs.8,89,600/- at Revena.
In this connection, Tripathy contacted the owner of the goods, and asked him to deposit Rs.3,20,000/- in the cash ledger as tax and further demanded Rs.2,50,000/- towards illegal gratification in order to release his vehicle and material.
However, when the bribe demand was not met, in contravention to the laws of GST, Tripathy, with an ulterior motive, illegally sold the entire scrap to another scrap dealer, and realized the tax and misappropriated the balance amount Rs.5,85,356, the Vigilance said.
This apart, Tripathy is alleged to have similarly collected huge bribe amounts from various transporters/suppliers on grounds of evasion of taxes.
In this connection, searches are being conducted today by Odisha Vigilance at the following 5 places linked to Shri Tripathy. 👇
1. His Government quarter no. IV-R-10/3, Unit-2, Bhubaneswar.
2. Paternal house located at village Padmapur, Nirakarpur, Dist. Khordha.
3. Farm house under construction at Padmapur, PS. Nirakarpur.
4. Flat no.201, Krushnapriya Apartment Uttara Munda Muhana, Barmunda Bhubaneswar of Sri Tripathi.
5. Village Jadupur, Patakura, Kendrapada.
7 Deputy SPs, 14 Inspectors, and 25 more staff are engaged in the searches.
Searches continuing.
