In a significant development in the high-profile bribery case unearthed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) involving officials of the Central Goods & Services Tax (CGST) department in Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh, the first bail application filed by accused Prabha Bhandari came up before the court.
The court has granted time to the prosecution to file its reply to the bail plea, with the next date fixed for 12 January.
The court clarified that once the CBI files its reply, it will thereafter fix a separate date for hearing detailed arguments on the bail application. During the proceedings, Senior Advocate Purnendu Chakraborty, appearing in the matter, strategically placed the onus on the investigating agency by “lobbing the ball” in the CBI’s court, indicating that the prosecution must now substantiate its opposition to bail with cogent material.
CBI Busts CGST Bribery Racket in Jhansi
The bail proceedings arise out of a major anti-corruption operation conducted by the CBI on 30 December 2025, during which the agency busted an alleged bribery racket operating within the office of CGST, Jhansi. The case pertains to the alleged demand and acceptance of illegal gratification for extending undue favours to private firms in GST evasion matters.
According to the CBI, an FIR was registered on 30 December 2025 against a Deputy Commissioner (IRS–C&IT, 2016 batch), two Superintendents posted at CGST Jhansi, an Advocate, owners of private companies, and unknown others. The allegations centre on a demand of ₹1.5 crore as illegal gratification for granting favourable treatment to certain private entities.
Trap Operation and Arrests
As part of the operation, the CBI laid a trap and caught two Superintendents red-handed while allegedly accepting a bribe amount of ₹70 lakh, purportedly at the behest of the Deputy Commissioner, CGST Jhansi. Following this, the Deputy Commissioner, both Superintendents, the Advocate, and the owner of a private company were arrested in connection with the case.
Massive Cash and Asset Seizure
Subsequent searches conducted by the CBI at various locations resulted in the recovery of approximately ₹90 lakh in cash, along with several property-related documents and large quantities of jewellery and bullion. With ongoing search operations, the total cash seized so far stands at around ₹1.60 crore. The agency has stated that searches are still continuing and further investigation is underway to trace the money trail and identify additional beneficiaries and conspirators.
