Hyderabad: City police hired five Goods and Services Tax (GST) officers for unlawfully detaining a businessman’s wife during a search operation in 2019.

According to victim J.Raghavi Reddy, in February 2019, when the suspect officials were working in the anti-escape wing of GST, they raided the house of Bharani Commodities town owner Satya Sridhar Reddy in Banjara Hills in connection with an alleged tax evasion case. The raid was carried out in his absence.

They allegedly broke into the house when Reddy was abroad and exhibited aggressive and rude behavior towards Raghavi Reddy. As Isabella Britto threatened her, other officials ransacked the house and damaged the premises, she said, adding that she had been detained overnight by officers from the TPS office in Basheerbagh, in violation of law and Supreme Court directives. They also demanded a bribe of Rs.5 crore to cover up the matter, she alleged.

Based on the instructions of the National Commission for Women, Banjara Hills Police booked Mr.Srinivas, Chief Commissioner of TPS- Chennai, Anand Kumar, Commissioner of TPS-Kutch, Bollineni Srinivasa Gandhi, Deputy Commissioner of TPS (Under suspended), Chilaka Sudha Rani, Assistant GST Commissioner (under suspension) and Isabella Britto, GST Superintendent.

The five officials were convicted under Sections 354, 341 and 506 of the Indian Penal Code and the case is under investigation.

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