Excise Scandal: Bribery Convictions Lead to Dismissals

An excise and taxation inspector, sentenced to five years for bribery, has been dismissed from service, an official disclosed on Monday. Sumitra Godara, along with ETO Roshan Lal and clerk Pawan, was found guilty by a court in a bribery case.

The court imposed a five-year prison term and a Rs 1 lakh fine on each. Following the conviction, Godara was dismissed by Excise and Taxation Commissioner Vinay Pratap Singh. A recommendation has also been forwarded for Lal's dismissal, pending state government approval.

The case emerged from a 2022 Anti-Corruption Bureau operation when a complaint by Mohit, a supplier, accused the officers of soliciting bribes for a GST registration number. The officials were arrested after a sting operation.