Key Points
Bengaluru City Lokayukta caught GST Superintendent Mohit Pratap Singh accepting Rs 8 lakh, the first installment of an alleged Rs 20 lakh bribe demand.
The bribe was allegedly demanded to close a tax evasion case against businessman Syed Zameer that Singh reportedly knew was false.
Both Singh and his alleged intermediary, Salman Sheikh, have been booked under Section 7A of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.
A CENTRAL GST SUPERINTENDENT was allegedly caught on camera accepting an Rs 8 lakh bribe during a trap operation carried out by the Bengaluru City Lokayukta police. On Thursday, September 17, 2026, the accused — identified as Mohit Pratap Singh — was caught red-handed while taking a bribe from a businessman to settle a false case.
Singh was posted as a Superintendent in the Central GST department, South Division-4, South Commissionerate. According to the Lokayukta, Singh initially demanded Rs 20 lakh from a businessman named Syed Zameer over pending Central GST dues, and to have a complaint against him closed.
Syed, a city-based businessman, was booked for evading tax. However, the complaint was false and Singh knew it. When the businessman approached Singh seeking a solution, Singh promised to close the case once and for all and demanded a Rs 20 lakh bribe. Finally, Singh agreed to take Rs 8 lakh and directed the businessman to hand over the money to his agent Salman Sheikh, the Lokayukta police said.
Following the alleged demand, the businessman approached the Lokayukta and filed a complaint against Singh and Sheikh under the Prevention of Corruption Act. Bengaluru City Lokayukta officials organized a trap operation and instructed the businessman to give the money to Sheikh, who was waiting near Singh’s chamber at Kendriya Sadan in Bengaluru’s Koramangala. During a police raid, Singh was caught while he was accepting the bribe money through Sheikh.
“The businessman approached us and registered a case against Singh and Sheikh under the Prevention of Corruption Act. We laid the trap and directed the businessman to hand over the cash to Sheikh, who was waiting near Singh's chamber in Kendriya Sadan, Koramangala. The raids were carried out when Singh received the cash from Sheik," the anti-corruption unit stated to The Economic Times.
A case has been registered against both Singh and Sheikh under Section 7A of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, as amended in 2018, which deals with the taking or giving of bribes to influence a public worker for personal benefits or favors.
The Lokayukta said further investigation into the matter is currently underway.
(Edited by Agniva Ray)
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