CGST officer accused of kidnapping and extortion suspended

A Bengaluru tax officer facing extortion and kidnapping charges has been suspended. Sonali Sahay, 29, an inspector with the Bengaluru South Commissionerate, is accused, along with three others, of kidnapping four businessmen from Bengaluru and holding them for ransom.

A detailed perusal of the available materials including FIR, investigating officer’s report, remand application and Magistrate Court proceedings clearly shows that Sonali Sahay along with other officers subjected the employees of M/s Mexo to torture. The dismissal order from the Central Excise Commissioner’s office are solutions to terrorism, threats and intimidation, said the Bengaluru South Commissionerate.

Sonali Sahay, who was posted as Intelligence Officer at the time, is accused along with three other GST officials, Abhishek Kumar, Central Tax Inspector of Bengaluru District South Commissionerate, and senior intelligence officers Manoj Saini and Nagesh Babu of Bengaluru District GST Intelligence. and kidnapping three of his partners at Mexo Solutions, illegally imprisoning them, and extorting money from them for their release. The accused allegedly demanded 3 billion Rupees as ransom and 1.5 billion Rupees was paid.

They allegedly entered Keshav’s house in GM Palya on August 30, claimed to be Enforcement and Goods and Services Tax officials, carried out an illegal raid and kidnapped Keshav Tak. A case was registered with Byappanahalli police and the case was later handed over to the Central Crime Branch (CCB).

While explaining the reasons for the dismissal, the order said: “The officer, along with his three accomplices, engaged in a criminal act with the aim of extorting money from the taxpayer on the pretext of filing a case against him. He, along with his accomplices, kidnapped the victims by posing as ED and GST officers on duty.” , attacked them and pressured them to comply with his demand for ransom money. It is unacceptable for a civil servant to deign to commit such a criminal crime for the sake of his own financial interests. Immorality terrorizes the public, undermines the sanctity and authority of the Central Excise Department as an institution and creates an environment of taxation distrust between the government and the taxpayers… The continuation of such corrupt, disloyal and criminally minded officials in the civil service will damage the public image. “And it will send the wrong message to taxpayers and the public at large, who are filled with fear and disbelief because of such an event.”