LUCKNOW, July 6 -- The Uttar Pradesh Vigilance Establishment has registered an FIR against a former Assistant Commissioner of the State Tax Department, accusing him of causing a revenue loss of Rs.33.87 lakh to the state by allegedly releasing detained goods vehicles in violation of prescribed GST procedures. The FIR, registered on July 1 under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, and Section 198 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), names Jitendra Kumar Pandey, then posted as Assistant Commissioner, Mobile Squad, Fourth Unit, Lucknow. According to the FIR, the action follows a vigilance inquiry ordered by the Uttar Pradesh government after allegations of irregularities in the officer's functioning. The vigilance probe concluded that between July 15 and August 15, 2024, the officer intercepted 14 goods vehicles but allegedly released them without recording the mandatory reasons in the prescribed GST forms and without complying with the procedures laid down by the Commercial Tax Department. The inquiry found that the officer allegedly failed to physically verify the goods transported in several vehicles despite departmental instructions requiring such verification before release. Investigators alleged that the mandatory legal provisions relating to detention, seizure and imposition of penalty under the GST law were not properly enforced, enabling transporters to avoid statutory penalties. The FIR cites irregularities involving vehicles from Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, with GST penalties totalling Rs.33.87 lakh allegedly not recovered. A vigilance inquiry concluded the omissions amounted to abuse of official position and fell within the ambit of corruption....