The Vigilance Bureau (VB) has submitted a chargesheet against Ravinder Kumar Sharma, assistant commissioner of Central Goods and Services Tax (CGST), Jalandhar, before an additional district and sessions judge in Mohali. The accusations link Sharma to an alleged ₹30 lakh bribery plot, following an earlier chargesheet filed against his co-accused, chartered accountant Gursewak Singh.
Background of the Case
The case stems from a complaint lodged by Anish Gandhi, a partner in the Jalandhar-based firm DR Metals. According to investigation records, Sharma initially raided Gandhi’s factory and office premises on April 22, 2025, over alleged tax evasions involving GST and input tax credit fraud.
Alleged Extortion Demands
Following the raid, Sharma allegedly met with the metal trader, threatened to permanently blacklist his business, and demanded a ₹30 lakh bribe to drop departmental action. The officer then instructed Gandhi to negotiate the specific financial transactions directly with CA Gursewak Singh, who proposed settling the extortion demand in three installments of ₹10 lakh each.
Secret Recordings
The merchant secretly documented the extortion plot by using a second mobile phone to record a WhatsApp conversation with Sharma, where the officer agreed to a revised initial installment of ₹7 lakh. Gandhi later recorded a follow-up meeting where the mediator CA insisted that the full ₹30 lakh must be paid to resolve the departmental freeze.
Sting Operation and Arrest
Armed with the audio recordings, the VB verified the extortion claims, arranged official witnesses, and executed a sting operation. Detectives caught the middleman CA red-handed while accepting a ₹10 lakh cash installment, resulting in an immediate FIR under the Prevention of Corruption Act and the subsequent chargesheets against both individuals.
