IRS Officer arrested in bribery case, Rs 1.6 Crore cash seized

An Indian Revenue Service officer serving in the Goods and Services Tax department in Uttar Pradesh has been arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation for allegedly accepting bribes from businessmen, with cash and valuables worth several crores seized during searches.
Prabha Bhandari, an IRS officer posted as Deputy Commissioner in the GST department at Jhansi, was arrested following a CBI trap operation. Officials said Rs 1.6 crore in cash was recovered from her residence in Delhi. Gold jewellery, silver bars and property documents valued at several crores were also seized.
The case relates to a GST inspection carried out on December 18 at Jai Ambe Plywoods and Jai Durga Hardware, two firms operating in Jhansi city. During the inspection, officials allegedly detected tax evasion amounting to several crores of rupees.
Investigators said the firm owners, Lokesh Mangdani and Raju Mangdani, attempted to avoid legal action by offering a bribe. Negotiations were allegedly carried out through GST Superintendent Anil Kumar, with a deal finalised for Rs 1.5 crore.
Based on confidential information, CBI teams placed the Jhansi GST office under surveillance. On December 30, lawyer Naresh Gupta allegedly delivered Rs 70 lakh as the first instalment to Superintendent Anil Kumar and another GST officer, Ajay Sharma. All three were arrested on the spot.
During the operation, Anil Kumar spoke to Prabha Bhandari over phone at the direction of CBI officials. Investigators said she instructed that the money be converted into gold and handed over to her, establishing her role in the alleged bribery network. Further investigation is under way.