Mumbai, September 16 (Daily Kiran) : The Bombay High Court has ordered the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to take three officials from the Central Goods and Services Tax (CGST) department into custody in connection with a bribery case. This decision was made on September 16, 2026, following a challenge to a prior ruling by a special court.
The case originated on August 26, 2026, when the CBI’s Mumbai Anti-Corruption Branch registered a complaint under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. The complaint was filed against Rakesh Kumar Sinha, a CGST superintendent in Khandeshwar, Raigad, who allegedly demanded an illegal bribe of ₹1.5 crore from a firm associated with the complainant. This amount was later negotiated down to ₹40 lakh.
On August 27, 2026, the CBI set up a sting operation, resulting in the arrest of Narinder Rajput, a customs house agent. He was reportedly caught accepting ₹40 lakh on behalf of Sinha and Vinay Kumar Kanthati, the CGST Additional Commissioner.
After their arrests, Sinha, Rajput, and Kanthati were presented in Thane’s special CBI court. The CBI sought five days of police custody for questioning, but the court denied this request on August 28, deeming the arrests unlawful and granting bail to the accused.
In response, the CBI filed a criminal revision application, numbered 460/2026, challenging the special court’s order. The Bombay High Court reviewed the case and, on September 16, granted the CBI’s request. The court annulled the previous ruling and remanded the accused to two days of CBI custody for further interrogation.
Following the high court’s decision, Rakesh Kumar Sinha and Narinder Rajput have been taken into CBI custody for questioning. Efforts are underway to locate and arrest Vinay Kumar Kanthati in accordance with the law. The investigation remains ongoing.
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