CBI Registers Corruption Case Against GST Intelligence Officer Over Alleged One Crore Rupee Bribe

A senior officer of the Directorate General of GST Intelligence has come under the scanner after the Central Bureau of Investigation registered a corruption case over allegations that he accepted a one crore rupee bribe from a Mysuru based businessman. The case was registered after both the Central and Karnataka governments granted the required approvals for prosecution under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The accused has been identified as Praveen Kumar Yadav, a Senior Intelligence Officer posted with the Bengaluru unit of the GST Intelligence department. He has been suspended following the allegations. Investigators claim the officer accepted money in exchange for allegedly helping suppress a GST evasion case involving an estimated tax fraud of 21 crore rupees.

According to the FIR, GST officials conducted a search at the residence of scrap trader Mohammed Kamran on September 10, 2025. During the operation, Yadav allegedly demanded one crore rupees to ensure that the businessman would not face serious action in the investigation. The complaint states that the officer later shared a location through WhatsApp and instructed Kamran to bring the cash to a hotel in Mysuru.

Kamran has alleged that he and a friend delivered a box containing one crore rupees near the specified location later that night. However, the matter reportedly did not end there. In his complaint, the businessman claimed that Yadav contacted him again through a WhatsApp call the following day and demanded an additional four crore rupees to completely close the case.

The bribery allegations first triggered an internal inquiry by the Directorate General of GST Intelligence. During the preliminary investigation, officials reportedly found evidence suggesting that the officer had remained in contact with the businessman and had failed to disclose key information to his senior officers. Based on these findings, the department submitted a complaint to the CBI in October 2025.

The CBI could proceed with the case only after receiving statutory sanction from the state and central governments. Karnataka granted approval on March 6, 2026, while the Central Government issued its approval on June 8, 2026. Following these clearances, the CBI registered the FIR last week and formally began its investigation into the alleged corruption case.

The businessman at the centre of the controversy is also facing legal proceedings in connection with the GST fraud investigation. Mohammed Kamran was arrested on September 16, 2025, on allegations of generating fake invoices to evade GST worth 21 crore rupees. He later challenged his arrest before the Karnataka High Court, arguing that it was unlawful.

The High Court, however, upheld the legality of his arrest in its order delivered on July 7 this year. A day after the court’s decision, the CBI intensified its action by registering the corruption case against the suspended GST Intelligence officer.

The investigation is now expected to examine financial records, digital communication and other evidence to determine whether the alleged bribe was paid and whether there were attempts to interfere with the tax fraud investigation. The outcome of the probe could have significant implications for both the corruption allegations and the original GST evasion case.