Five GST officials booked for illegally detaining businessman’s wife in Hyderabad

Hyderabad: The City Police have booked five Goods and Services Tax (GST) officials on charges of illegally detaining a businessman’s wife during a search operation in 2019.

According to the victim J.Raghavi Reddy, in February 2019, when the suspect officials were working in the Anti-Evasion wing of GST, they raided the house of city-based Bharani Commodities owner Satya Sridhar Reddy’s residence in Banjara Hills in connection with an alleged tax evasion case. The raid was conducted in his absence.

They allegedly barged into the house when Reddy was abroad and exhibited aggressive and rude behavior towards Raghavi Reddy. While Isabella Britto threatened her, other officials ransacked the house and caused damaged to the premises, she said, adding that she was detained for the whole night by the officers at the GST Office in Basheerbagh, in violation of law and Supreme Court guidelines. They also demanded a bribe of Rs.5 crore to hush up the matter, she alleged.

Based on directions from the National Commission for Women, the Banjara Hills police booked M.Srinivas, GST Principal Commissioner- Chennai, Anand Kumar, GST Commissioner-Kutch, Bollineni Srinivasa Gandhi, GST Assistant Commissioner (under suspension), Chilaka Sudha Rani, Deputy Commissioner GST (under suspension), and Isabella Britto, GST Superintendent.

The five officials have been booked under Section 354, 341, and 506 of the Indian Penal Code and case is being investigated.