Gold biscuits from Odisha GST officer’s bank locker seized

Representational Image (File photo)


Vigilance sleuths have traced over one kilogram of gold, including 19 yellow metal biscuits stashed in a bank locker of a GST-commercial tax officer, earlier arrested on bribery charge.

It may be recalled here that Paradip-based GST officer Chittaranjan Mohanty was apprehended by Odisha Vigilance on 31 March while demanding and accepting bribe Rs 80,000 from a complainant in order to release his seized documents  and to furnish closure report of CT & GST case instituted against the complainant.

Two lockers of Mohanty and his wife at Bank of Maharashtra and Punjab and Sind Bank in CDA, Cuttack were traced.

Gold jewellery weighing 1.060 Kg including 19 gold biscuits of 24 carat weighing 433 gms (market price of 19 gold biscuits about Rs.26 lakhs) was recovered from the two lockers. Total gold weighing 1.135 Kg including 1.060 Kg from the two lockers worth Rs.64 lakhs unearthed, said vigilance officials.

Besides, Rs 5.4 lakh cash was found from a locker at Bank of Maharashtra. Total cash of Rs 6.59 lakh including cash found from locker Rs 5.4 lakh and Rs 1 lakh from office almirah of Mohanty was recovered.

Mohanty, booked under relevant sections of Prevention of Corruption Act, 2018, has been remanded to judicial custody till 13 April. Further inquiry is currently continuing with the disproportionate assets accumulated by the bribe-taking officer, the vigilance officials added.