The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) recently conducted three significant operations related to bribery and corruption involving public servants and private individuals. In the first case, the CBI arrested three public servants, including a Deputy Commissioner of Customs, a Superintendent, and an official from the Inland Container Depot (ICD) Tughlakabad, Delhi, along with two private individuals, including a Customs House Agent (CHA). The arrests were made in connection with a bribery case where the officials allegedly demanded and accepted illegal gratifications to impose reduced penalties on a Mumbai-based firm. The CBI laid a trap and apprehended the accused during an exchange of Rs. 72,000 in bribes. Searches conducted at various locations led to the recovery of incriminating documents and cash amounting to Rs. 19.25 lakh.
In the second case, the CBI arrested a Superintendent of CGST (Anti-Evasion), Mumbai West Commissionerate, and two private individuals, including a Chartered Accountant (CA), during a trap for accepting part of a bribe amounting to Rs. 20 lakh. The total bribe demand was Rs. 60 lakh, with Rs. 30 lakh allegedly delivered through hawala channels. The CBI registered a case against eight accused, including six CGST officers and two private individuals. It was reported that the complainant was confined at the CGST office, where the accused demanded the bribe for not arresting him. The CBI caught the accused red-handed while accepting the bribe, leading to their arrests and subsequent production before the Special Court for CBI Cases in Mumbai. Searches at multiple locations uncovered incriminating documents.
In a separate case, a designated court sentenced Shri Kishore Marotirao Ambavale, a former Superintendent of Central Excise in Ahmedabad, to three years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs. 1 lakh for demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs. 14,500. The case, registered by CBI in 2013, involved Ambavale’s acceptance of illegal gratification for processing monthly returns and export documents for a private company. Following his arrest and the completion of the investigation, the CBI filed a chargesheet, leading to the conviction and sentencing of the accused by the court.
Central Bureau of Investigation
10-09-2024
CBI ARRESTS 03 PUBLIC SERVANTS INCLUDING A DEPUTY COMMISSIONER & SUPDT. OF CUSTOMS, ICD, TUGHLAKABAD AND 02 PRIVATE PERSONS INCLUDING A CUSTOMS HOUSE AGENT (CHA) IN A CASE RELATED TO BRIBERY
Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested 03 public servants including a Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Customs, a Superintendent and an Official of Inland Container Depot (ICD) Tughlakabad, Delhi and 02 private persons including a CHA and an employee of Delhi based private firm, in a case related to demanding and accepting bribes for showing undue favors to a Mumbai based private firm.
A case was registered by CBI on 06.09.2024 against 07 accused including a Deputy Commissioner of Customs, a Superintendent and an official of Inland Container Depot (ICD) Tughlakabad, Delhi; 04 private persons including a CHA of Delhi based firm, an employee of the said Delhi based firm, an employee of a Mumbai based firm and a Delhi based private person and unknown others on allegations that accused public servants were demanding and accepting illegal gratification from accused CHA of the said Delhi based private company in lieu of imposing reduced penalty on the Mumbai based firm. It was also alleged that accused public servants in connivance with each other were in the habit of demanding and accepting bribe from various private parties for clearing the pending matters related to import/export consignments and custom bonds in conspiracy with private persons including said Customs House Agent.
It was further alleged that the accused official of ICD and said DC (Customs) were in regular touch with accused CHA and accused employee of Delhi based firm for according customs clearance for consignments and were collecting illegal gratification from various private parties. The bribe money was, allegedly, taken by said ICD official in his bank account and thereafter delivered to accused DC.
Further, it was alleged that on 09.08.2024 accused CHA contacted the said DC and asked him to impose minimum penalties on bills of the said Mumbai based firm. The DC assured him that he would impose penalties of Rs. 70,000/- and for this he demanded bribe from CHA. Accused official of ICD contacted accused CHA on 10.08.2024 and confirmed that DC has imposed a penalty of Rs. 70,000/- on the consignment and asked for delivery of bribe amount at the earliest. It was also alleged that on 03.09.2024 accused employee of Mumbai based firm contacted said CHA and informed that payment of bribe would be handed over to him at Delhi for further delivery to said DC and accused Supdt. Customs. On 05.09.2024 said CHA, allegedly, collected the bribe amount and delivered a bribe amount of Rs 50,000/- to accused Supdt. through accused employee of Delhi based firm at ICD, Tughlakabad. It was also alleged that the said CHA would be delivering rest of the amount to accused DC as bribe on 06.09.2024 at his office at ICD, Tughlakabad.
CBI laid a trap on 06.09.2024 and apprehended accused Deputy Commissioner, accused official of ICD and Custom House Agent (CHA) during exchange of illegal gratification of Rs. 72,000/- in lieu of imposing a reduced penalty on a Mumbai based firm. CBI also apprehended accused Supdt., ICD, Tughlakabad who was allegedly paid illegal gratification of Rs. 50,000/- on 05.09.2024.
Arrested accused were produced before the Competent Court of Special Judge for CBI Cases, Rouse Avenue Court, New Delhi and were remanded police custody till 14.09.2024.
Searches were also conducted in Delhi, Mumbai, Faridabad, Gurugram, Raigarh and Kinnaur (HP) at 09 locations belonging to the accused persons leading to recovery of incriminating documents and cash amounting to Rs. 19.25 lakh (approx).
Investigation is continuing.
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Central Bureau of Investigation
08-09-2024
CBI ARRESTS THREE ACCUSED INCLUDING A SUPERINTENDENT OF CGST (ANTI-EVASION), MUMBAI AND TWO PRIVATE PERSONS DURING TRAP FOR ACCEPTING Rs 20 LAKH AS PART BRIBE AMOUNT OUT OF DEMANDED UNDUE ADVANTAGE OF Rs 60 LAKH; Rs 3O LAKH OF BRIBE AMOUNT ALLEGEDLY DELIVERED THROUGH HAWALA
Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested three accused including a Superintendent of CGST (Anti-Evasion), Mumbai West Commissionerate and two private persons- one of them a CA, during the trap proceedings, while accepting part bribe amount of Rs. 20 lakh, out of the negotiated undue advantage of Rs 60 lakh demanded as bribe. An amount of Rs 30 lakh of the total bribe amount was allegedly paid earlier through Hawala.
CBI registered a case on a complaint against 8 accused including 6 officers of CGST, Mumbai comprising an Additional Commissioner, a Joint Commissioner, 4 Superintendents and 2 private persons including a Chartered Accountant on allegations of bribery etc. It was alleged that when the complainant visited CGST Office, Santacruz in the evening of 04.09.2024, he was kept confined in the office whole night and released after about 18 hours on 05.09.2024.
It was also alleged that during complainant’s confinement, one of accused Supdt. CGST(bribe receiver) demanded Rs.80 lakh bribe for not arresting him which was subsequently reduced to Rs. 60 lakhs. Further, it was alleged that three other colleagues of said Superintendent (all Superintendents of CGST) also joined him in pressurising the complainant including through repeated use of force and hurling abuses.
The complainant was, allegedly, made to call his cousin while in confinement, to convey the demand of undue advantage by CGST officers for not arresting the complainant and favouring him in ongoing probe by CGST. It was also alleged that cousin of complainant subsequently contacted an accused CA who further contacted other accused private person and senior CGST officers including accused JC, CGST. Both accused CA and other accused private person visited the CGST office during the intervening night and negotiated the bribe with CGST officials. It was also alleged that the bribe demand was finalized for amount of Rs. 60 lakhs to be delivered to CGST officers through accused CA. Out of negotiated bribe of Rs.60 lakhs, Rs.30 lakhs was allegedly paid by cousin of complainant through an Angadia. Further, it was alleged that only then the complainant was allowed to leave CGST office, the next day.
CBI laid a trap and caught accused CA red-handed while accepting an amount of Rs 20 lakh on behalf of CGST officers, out of the remaining bribe amount. Further, controlled bribe delivery was done to other accused private person who was to further deliver the bribe to CGST officers through accused Supdt. CGST(bribe receiver). During further trap proceedings, accused Supdt. CGST(bribe receiver) called the other accused private person to meet him near Oshivara Police Station, Mumbai for collecting bribe. Thereafter, said accused Supdt. CGST was also apprehended by the CBI team.
CBI arrested all the aforesaid three accused involved in accepting bribe during trap proceedings. They were produced before the Special Court for CBI Cases, Mumbai. The Court granted Police Custody of arrested Superintendent CGST and CA till 10.09.2024. Arrested private person has been sent to judicial custody.
Searches were conducted at 09 locations at the official and residential premises of accused persons in and around Mumbai which led to recovery of various incriminating documents.
Investigation is continuing.
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Central Bureau of Investigation
06-09-2024
DESIGNATED COURT SENTENCES THEN SUPERINTENDENT OF CENTRAL EXCISE, AHMEDABAD TO THREE YEARS RIGOROUS IMPRISONMENT WITH FINE OF Rs 01 LAKH IN A CASE OF BRIBERY OF Rs 14,500/-
The Special Judge for CBI cases, Ahmedabad has sentenced Shri Kishore Marotirao Ambavale, then Superintendent of Central Excise, Range-IV, Division-II, Ahmedabad-I, Central Excise, Ahmedabad to 03 years Rigorous Imprisonment (RI) with fine of Rs.1 lakh in a case of bribery.
CBI had registered a case on 15.02.2013 against Shri Kishore Marotirao Ambavale, then Superintendent of Central Excise, Range-IV, Division-II, Ahmedabad-I, Central Excise, Ahmedabad. It was alleged that accused demanded illegal gratification of Rs.14,500/- from the complainant as a reward as he had processed the Monthly Returns and the documents for exports filed on behalf of the private company during the previous seven months. Accused accepted the said illegal gratification and was arrested on 16.02.2013. Further, searches were also conducted at residential and official premises of the accused.
After the completion of investigation, CBI filed chargesheet on 30.09.2013 against the accused.
The Court, after trial, found the accused guilty and sentenced him accordingly.
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