ACB Takes Sales Tax Officer Deepak Kshirsagar into Custody in Rs 8 Lakh Bribe Case
The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has booked and taken into custody 56-year-old Sales Tax Department officer Deepak Ramchandra Kshirsagar in CBD Belapur for allegedly demanding a bribe from a scrap trader to close an inquiry related to his GST account. Kshirsagar was serving as Assistant Commissioner of the Sales Tax Department, Raigad Division, at CBD Belapur when the alleged bribe was demanded, and is currently posted as Deputy Commissioner (Class I) at the department's Azad Nagar office in Mazgaon, Mumbai.
The ACB action followed a formal complaint lodged by a 47-year-old scrap trader associated with M/s Vidhi Industries, registered under GST number 27AFTPD0970N12. The trader had received a show-cause notice issued under Section 73(1) through the official GST portal on February 8, 2025.
On May 25, the trader approached the ACB, alleging that Kshirsagar had demanded a bribe for conducting the scrutiny of his GST number and for closing an ongoing inquiry concerning GST credit. Following the complaint, the ACB conducted a formal verification at the officer's office on May 25 between 2:41 pm and 3:18 pm.
During the verification, Kshirsagar allegedly reiterated his demand for a Rs 15 lakh bribe. After negotiations, the demanded amount was reduced to Rs 8 lakh. Dharmaraj Sonke, Deputy Superintendent of Police, ACB, Navi Mumbai, confirmed that the public servant allegedly demanded Rs 15 lakh initially before negotiating it down to Rs 8 lakh, after which a trap operation was arranged.
Following the verification, the ACB executed a trap operation. Kshirsagar was taken into custody at around 6:10 pm on Tuesday, with formal arrest procedures initiated immediately after.
A case has been officially registered at the CBD police station under Crime Register No. 278/2026. The charges have been framed under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, as amended in 2018.
The verification operation was conducted by Police Inspector Narayan Maruti Sarode of the ACB, Raigad, Alibag, under the direct supervision of Deputy Superintendent Sonke. Police Head Constable Nitin Pawar and Police Constable Yogiram Naik were also key members of the ACB team.
