A Haryana government excise and taxation officer (ETO) and his official driver were arrested while accepting a ₹1 lakh bribe at their office in Faridabad on Tuesday, Haryana state vigilance and anti-corruption bureau (ACB) officials said on Wednesday.
The bribe was part of a ₹4 lakh deal allegedly struck to allow all trucks of a Delhi-based transport firm to pass through Faridabad without scrutiny. The duo was also allegedly negotiating the release of a seized truck carrying scrap.
The accused were posted at the office of joint commissioner (excise and taxation), Faridabad division. ACB inspector Vijender Singh said the driver was sent to judicial custody, while the ETO was taken on two-day police remand after being produced before a court on Wednesday. “Poonia had seized the transporter firm’s four trucks carrying scrap from Lucknow while it was passing through Faridabad on August 10 but later set three of them free,” he said.
According to ACB officials, the ETO later offered the firm’s employee a ₹4 lakh deal after imposing a ₹10 lakh penalty on the truck for violations including inadequate transport documents. The employee allegedly paid ₹2 lakh to a paying guest in Sector-11 on August 14 and agreed to pay the remaining amount later.
The employee recorded the negotiations and complained to the ACB. An FIR was registered under section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act at the ACB police station in Faridabad on Tuesday.
The trap was laid at the ETO office, where ₹1 lakh was handed to the driver on the ETO’s direction. The money was recovered from the driver’s pocket. ACB officials said more taxation files would be seized for investigation.
