In Haridwar, a GST data entry officer was caught red-handed by the vigilance team while accepting a bribe of ₹20,000. The team arrested the accused. A Haridwar resident had complained to the vigilance department that his firm, Himanshi Packaging Industry, which closed down in 2021, had been declared VAT by the tax department as ₹176,000 for the last three months before the implementation of GST.
The complainant alleged that Pramod Semwal, a data entry operator posted in the GST department, demanded a cash bribe of ₹120,000 in exchange for clearing this outstanding amount. This amount was asked to be paid in installments. Based on the complaint, the vigilance team took action and arrested Pramod Semwal while accepting a cash bribe of ₹20,000. The arrest took place near the office of the Assistant Commissioner of State Tax, Section 3, Haridwar.
The accused, Pramod Semwal, is a resident of Siddharth Enclave, Dwarika Vihar, near the football ground, Jagjitpur, Kankhal (Haridwar). He had been employed as a data entry operator through UPNL in the office of the Assistant Commissioner of State Taxes, Section 3, Haridwar, for the past 18 years. It is reported that the accused had been repeatedly demanding money from the complainant in the name of settling old VAT bills. The vigilance team is investigating the matter further.
