New Delhi, Sep 21 (PTI) The CBI has taken the custody of “absconding” IRS officer Vinay Kumar Kantheti from Uttarakhand’s Rishikesh in connection with Rs 40-lakh alleged bribe demanded to settle a GST and royalty matter involving a stone-quarrying firm in Maharashtra, officials said Monday.
In a trap operation on August 27, the CBI had apprehended Customs House Agent Narinder Rajput while allegedly accepting Rs 40 lakh on behalf of Superintendent, CGST Rakesh Kumar Sinha and Kantheti, the agency said.
The CBI had also arrested Kantheti, a 2009-batch IRS officer posted as the Additional Commissioner, CGST in Maharashtra’s Raigad district, and Sinha and produced the three before a Thane court which had denied the agency’s request for custody, the officials said.
“The CBI challenged the said order before the Hon’ble Bombay High Court in Criminal Revision Application. Vide order dated 16.09.2026, the Hon’ble Bombay High Court allowed the CBI’s revision and set aside the order of the Special Court and remanded the accused persons to two-day CBI custody,” a CBI spokesperson said in a statement on Monday.
Ruling out any infirmity in CBI’s arrest, the high court found that the grounds of arrest had been communicated to the accused in writing and that the relevant family members and advocates had been duly informed, the statement said.
Following the high court order, the CBI took into custody the accused superintendent and the Customs house agent for two days and subsequently they were sent to 14-day judicial custody by the concerned court.
“However, the accused additional commissioner was absconding instead of complying with the Hon’ble High Court order. He has now been traced in Rishikesh and taken into custody by CBI,” the spokesperson said.
The case pertains to demand of illegal gratification of Rs 1.50 crore in connection with proceedings relating to the complainant’s firm. The demand was reduced to Rs 40 lakh during negotiations. PTI ABS ABS KVK KVK
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