A first information report was filed against Uday Sampkar, deputy commissioner of Sales Tax with the Byculla police station on Saturday for attempting to carry eight office files out of the Sales Tax office at Mazagaon around 5.45 pm on Friday.  No officer, irrespective of his

rank, is allowed to carry office files outside after working hours (10 am to 5 pm) unless they have permission from security officials. As the security had not issued permission to anyone to carry files out of the office on Friday, they interrogated Sampkar when he did so. He tried to get away by attempting to bribe security officials, said sub-inspector of police, PL Bhumkar of Byculla police station.

The FIR was filed under Sections 379  (punishment for theft) and 511 (punishment for attempting to commit offences punishable with imprisonment for life or other imprisonment) of the Indian Penal Code.

The police said the files have been sealed and that they cannot reveal information about their content.

The police said they launched an inquiry to investigate the motive behind carrying those files.

An investigation is in progress. As Sampkar is the deputy commissioner for Sales Tax and because we cannot arrest an official of such a high rank without a proper inquiry, we have to await the outcome of the inquiry, get the requisite permissions from his seniors before we arrest him, Bhumkar said.