Vineet Kumar Dhattarwal Vs Union of India (Bombay High Court)
Mumbai: The Bombay High Court has granted regular bail to a Superintendent of Customs, Vineet Kumar Dhattarwal, who was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with allegations of demanding a bribe. The case centres on the alleged demand for illegal gratification to facilitate the clearance of a chemical shipment at the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT).
According to the prosecution’s submissions before the court, the applicant, Mr. Dhattarwal, serving as a Superintendent in the Special Intelligence and Investigation Branch (Import) – SIIB (Import) – was involved in the processing of a shipment that arrived at JNPT from Jebel Ali Port, UAE, on September 8, 2024. The consignment contained Toluene Di-Isocyanate chemical and had been detained. The SIIB (Import) is a unit within the Customs department tasked with intelligence and investigation work concerning imports, often involving detailed examination of cargo to address potential violations of customs laws.
The court was informed that, as part of the established procedure for clearing such imported goods, samples of the chemical were drawn from the shipment and sent for laboratory testing. The Customs Deputy Chief Chemist (DYCC) Lab reportedly conducted the necessary tests and subsequently issued a ‘no objection’ report regarding the chemical, paving the way for its release from a technical standpoint. However, the complainant company alleged that despite the favourable lab report, the applicant intentionally delayed the clearance of the shipment.
