Kolkata, May 16 (IANS): The CBI on Saturday arrested four people, including a commissioner of service tax, in a bribery case, an official said.

The commissioner from the Haldia Commissionerate was arrested from his residence in Kolkata for allegedly demanding and accepting a bribe for showing favour to a private company engaged in stevedoring and offshore cargo handling at the Haldia Dock Complex.

The Central Bureau of Investigation also arrested a director of the company, the person who delivered the bribe money as well as an aide of the tax official.

"The commissioner was arrested for demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs.20 lakh from the directors of a private company engaged in stevedoring and offshore cargo handling in Haldia Dock Complex," a CBI officer said.

Probing the case, CBI sleuths also conducted searches in 13 locations in Kolkata, Haldia, Hyderabad and Guntur (Andhra Pradesh) leading to recovery of various incriminating documents.

"It has been alleged that the bribe payment was for showing favour by the accused public servant to the said company in the official matter of assessment of their unpaid service tax by conducting perfunctory inquiry/investigation with dishonest intent," the officer said.