Suspended CGST officer Sreenivasa Gandhi Bollineni arrested by CBI

Hyderabad: Sleuths of Central Bureau of Investigation have arrested suspended Central GST Assistant Commissioner Sreenivasa Gandhi Bollineni in a disproportionate assets case on 20th April, 2021.

"Bollineni Gandhi has been arrested in a disproportionate assets case. The arrest is following non-corporation from his side;despite several notices issued by the CBI, the officer failed to appear for questioning," a top officer told NewsMeter.

Sreenivasa Gandhi who investigated several high profile multi-crore scams including that of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy's quid pro quo and MP Srujana Chowdhary's GST fraud, has been in the eye of storm since 2019.

Gandhi served as an assistant director with the Enforcement Directorate, where he was appointed investigating officer in 100 crore demonitization fraud case booked against the city's Musaddilal Jewellers , Money laundering case against mining baron Gali Janardhan Reddy and more.

The officer made headlines in 2019, when CBI booked Gandhi and his wife in a disproportionate assets case clocked to the tune of Rs 3 crore. The CBI was acting on a complaint filed by one Vivekanand Swamy V. The officer who was then serving in the anti-tax evasion unit of Central GST, however, continued to work in the department.

But, it was in February 2021 that the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs suspended Gandhi and another officer Sudha Rani Chilaka in a bribe case.

It is pertinent to note that, his suspension came two months after he was promoted to the grade of Assistant Commissioner of Customs and Central Excise. (On 24th December 2020, Gandhi was promoted since there was no pending charge-sheet against him at the time of departmental promotion).

CBI in February booked two top officers in bribe case

CBI found that Sreenivasa Gandhi Bollineni and Sudha Rani Chilaka demanded bribes of Rs 5 crore from a private company against whom a probe was on. The central investigating agency booked Sudha Rani Chilaka- former deputy commissioner of tax-anti-evasion wing and Sreenivasa Gandhi Bollineni, the then Superintendent of the department.

Investigation found that Chilaka Sudha Rani and Sreenivasa Gandhi Bollineni, both formerly serving with the tax-anti-evasion wing, were probing a case against a company 'Infiniti Metal product India' . The group is accused of wrongfully availing fake input tax credit (ITC) to evade GST payment. The two top officers reportedly colluded with other GST officials and demanded a bribe of Rs 5 crore towards official help.

"They ( referring to the two officials) accepted Rs 10 lakh cash and demanded for open land/plots for the balance of the bribe amount.' CBI said. The CBI in connection with the two officials booked the director of Bharani Commodities, Satya Sridhar Reddy Jagannagari for keeping the investigating agency in dark regarding bribe demands and paid. The third accused was arrested by the GST officials in a fraud case, he was sent on judicial remand in 2019. The accused reportedly paid Rs 10 lakh to the officials under the threat of arrest of his wife J Raghavi Reddy. "He failed to report the matter to CBI or any other law enforcement agency within a period of 7 days" CBI said