The arrested have been identified as Devrao Bhavne, deputy commissioner, and Dilip Dange, inspector.

According to officials from the ACB, the duo was arrested on a complaint lodged by Sameer Desai, who works as an accountant for a Byculla firm called Ruler Plastics. The accused were in touch with Desai since January 13 this year, and were allegedly harassing him for money by issuing a sales tax notice to the firm and demanding a bribe in order to clear the sales tax assessment order.

“Bhavne and Dange had slapped a sales tax notice on the firm in which the complainant was working as an accountant. When Desai approached them after receiving the notice, they asked him to pay up a bribe of Rs 1 lakh before they would pass the assessment order,” said Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (ACB) Prabhakar Satam.

“Desai refused to give in to their demands and pay the bribe, and argued with them stating that his firm’s accounts were perfectly in order. The two sales tax officers then threatened to initiate action against the firm,” said Satam. Fed up with their demands, Desai approached the ACB on January 27 and lodged a complaint against the two officers.