- Bribe Fighter
- 10 years ago
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Statutory Warning – Do Not Fight Corruption Very often the Bhagat…
Statutory Warning – Do Not Fight Corruption
Very often the Bhagat Singh in us wakes up in trying to cleanse the rot and decay in the society. One such disease is Corruption. I tried fighting it and realize that when one decides to fight it, he should be ready like Bhagat Singh to put every thing at stake.
My accountant had been asked for a bribe of 1.5 lacs by two officials in the Customs, Excise and Service Tax department. Not to take such a demand lying down, we reported the matter to the CBI. This happened at the same time when the rest of the city was up in arms protesting against the Brutal Nirbhay Rape case. Here we were trying to take the rot in the system head on. The CBI verified my complaint and set up a trap to catch the officials red handed. All of this happened very well and the two officials were caught and put behind bars.
At that time lots of people appreciated the act while lots warned me against departmental action as a result of this act.
That’s exactly what started 7 months down the road. We started getting notices from the Service tax department and they were set to start detailed scrutinies into the Company I am a Director in and also a firm that I am a partner in. Lots of documents and accounts were asked for. The notices and letters kept coming in. Many asking for personal appearance in the office but posted in such a manner that the date requiring our presence was always prior to the notice being delivered to us.
That is not where the matter ended. The extent to which the govt departments collude and work together became evident when on the 5th we received one summon requiring my personal appearance in the office of Service Tax Department (The summons were for me personally and not for any other director NOR accountant NOR representative, which is usually the case in summons issued to companies). Even though I was travelling and told the superintendent that I would not be able to make it on the 7th of Feb, so to give a date of the next week, he insisted that there is a lot of pressure from the department to close this case and thus he has no choice but to put such a date.
Upon his leaving the postman arrived with 3 more notices. Two were from Income Tax Department and one from Service Tax for another firm. The notice from the Service Tax department was a summon requiring our presence in their office on the 21st of Jan and had been delivered on the 5th of Feb. Keeps me wondering what they are trying to get me into. That’s when I also get a call from a Delhi Police Official requiring my presence in his office at Parliament Street Police Station in a complaint received from RBI.
The last 6 months have gone with an average of 2 notices / summons from the Service Tax Department every month. What is even more surprising is when I bumped into a Commissioner of the department who told me that they don’t focus on Service tax payees. The current agenda of the department is to get people into the fold and start paying the taxes and when they do go after someone it is only in case of large defaulters and not the small fry like me.
So if you want to fight corruption be ready to make it a full time occupation and put your jobs and businesses at stake.
Details of Notices Received from the Department:-
1. 5th Feb 2013 – The service Tax Suprintendent visited personally to serve a summon to be present on the 7th of Feb, even though he was told on the phone that I am travelling and would find it difficult to make be present on Friday but he did not accept the request for Monday.
2. 5th Feb 2013 – Summons requiring presence at the Service Tax office on the 21st of Jan 2014
3. Received on 09 Jan 2014 – Under Section 14, asking to be present at their office on the 8th of Jan.
4. Dated on 11 Dec 2013 – Seeking some Info.
5. Dated 26 Nov 2013 – Seeking some Info for Company 1.
6. Dated 26 Nov 2013 – Seeking some Info for firm 2.
7. Dated 1 Oct 2013 - Seeking Info.
8. Dated 31 Oct 2013 – Seeking some Info.
9. Dated 23 Sep 2013 - Under Section 14, Seeking Info.
10. Dated 13 Sep 2013 - Under Section 14, Seeking Info.
11. Two notices also received from the Income Tax department for both the firms on 5th Feb 2014.
12. A police inquiry in progress at Parliament Street Police Station on a Complaint from RBI as per Inspector who called from mobile no 98998 37420.