A redevelopment project stalled on a single signature — the NOC to hand over 24 government-owned flats. What it allegedly took to get that signature has now landed a CGST official and a consultant in CBI custody.
CBI Arrests CGST Official and Consultant Over ₹1 Crore Bribe for Flat Redevelopment NOC
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested two people in a ₹1 crore bribery case connected to the redevelopment of residential flats in New Panvel, Maharashtra. The accused are Pankaj Kumar alias Pankaj Rajput, Superintendent of the Land and Building Section at the office of the Commissioner of Central Goods and Services Tax (CGST) and Central Excise, Raigad, and Prasad Kumar Swami, a CGST consultant.
What Triggered the Case
The CBI registered the case on 9 September, based on a complaint from the project head of a private realty company handling the redevelopment of two buildings in Sector 17, New Panvel. According to the complaint, 24 flats across those two buildings are owned by the CGST and Central Excise, Raigad Commissionerate — meaning the redevelopment couldn't proceed without the Commissionerate's own sign-off, even though the necessary approvals from local municipal authorities had already been secured.
The complaint alleges that the accused demanded ₹1 crore in exchange for issuing the No-Objection Certificate (NOC) and handing over the flats so the redevelopment could move ahead — effectively holding up a legitimate, already-approved project pending a private payment to a government official.
How the Demand Allegedly Escalated
During the CBI's verification of the complaint, the alleged demand reportedly broke down further: ₹10 lakh in cash, ₹20 lakh described as a down payment toward a flat the officer was personally purchasing, and a further ₹70 lakh to be paid at a later stage, allegedly meant for other officers at the Directorate General of Human Resource Development (DG HRD), CGST, New Delhi. If accurate, this points to an arrangement extending well beyond a single official's personal gain.
| Component of the Alleged Demand | Amount |
|---|---|
| Cash demanded directly | ₹10 lakh |
| Down payment on officer's personal flat purchase | ₹20 lakh |
| Reserved for other DG HRD, CGST officers | ₹70 lakh |
| Total alleged demand | ₹1 crore |
The Trap and the Arrests
The CBI laid a trap on 10 September. Per the CBI's account, the Superintendent directed the complainant to hand over ₹10 lakh to consultant Prasad Kumar Swami, who was present at the location to receive it. Both men were arrested the same day.
They were produced before the competent court on 11 September, which granted the CBI two days of police custody for further questioning. The CBI has said the investigation is ongoing.
A note on the process: These are allegations forming the basis of an active CBI investigation. The accused have been arrested and produced before a court, but no trial verdict has been reached. The facts here reflect the complaint and the CBI's stated account as reported; the matter will be tested through the ordinary judicial process from here.
Why This Case Stands Out
What makes this case notable isn't just the amount involved, but the nature of the asset at stake. The CGST and Central Excise Commissionerate at Raigad owned 24 flats in buildings that a private developer was otherwise cleared to redevelop — every other regulatory box had already been ticked by local authorities. The alleged bribe demand sat squarely at the one remaining chokepoint: an internal government NOC that had nothing to do with tax administration itself, but everything to do with an official's control over departmentally-owned real estate.
It's also a reminder that anti-corruption enforcement against tax department personnel isn't limited to disputes over tax assessments, refunds, or GST classification — it extends to entirely separate administrative functions, like asset and property management, where officials can end up controlling approvals that have significant commercial value to outside parties.
The takeaway: the CBI has arrested a CGST Superintendent and a consultant on allegations of demanding ₹1 crore to release an NOC for a fully-approved flat redevelopment project — with the alleged demand structured across cash, a personal property down payment, and funds earmarked for officers elsewhere in the department. Both men are now in police custody as the investigation continues.
This post summarizes a CBI case as publicly reported as of September 2026. The allegations described are based on the complaint and the investigating agency's stated account; the accused are entitled to a fair legal process, and no finding of guilt has been made by any court at this stage.