NEW DELHI: Continuing its nationwide crackdown on public servants of doubtful integrity, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday registered 30 cases against 31 public servants for allegedly amassing assets disproportionate to their legitimate sources of income.

Addressing a press conference here, CBI Director U.S. Misra said that in all 48 cases against 106 persons, including 50 public servants and 56 private persons were registered after the agency conducted raids and searches across the nation at about 185 places.

Searches were carried out at 41 places in Delhi, 16 in Mumbai, 11 each in Kolkata and Jaipur, 10 places in Dehra Dun, three places in Chennai and also in smaller and far flung towns such as Behrampur, Surat, Hazaribagh, Hathras, Eranakulam, Sahibabad and Gorakhpur.

While a majority of cases have been registered under the provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, cases have also been registered under Sections 420, 468, 470, 471 and 120-B of the Indian Penal Code relating to cheating, forgery and criminal conspiracy.

Mr. Misra said that as per information collected at the CBI headquarters till Thursday evening, properties worth Rs. 10 crores have been detected which include cash, jewellery and other valuables.

Cash worth Rs. 60 lakhs has also been recovered and many bank lockers were yet to be opened.

"This is our third special drive against corrupt public servants this year. It will have a definite impact. Public servants of doubtful integrity are under our constant gaze and they should not think that they are safe. This helps us hit at the root of corruption," he said.

In Thursday's raids, two officers of the level of joint secretary and above were among those against whom cases were registered by the CBI. Cases also involve officers from the departments of Income Tax, Customs, Central Excise, BSNL, Narcotic Control Bureau, National Insurance Company, Delhi Development Authority, Ministries of Information Technology and Water Resources, NALCO, RITES, State Bank of India, National Institute of Design, Central Bank of India, erstwhile Global Trust Bank, PGI Chandigarh, Employees Provident Fund, Delhi Government and Delhi Police.

A case was registered against a former CMD of erstwhile Global Trust Bank, Hyderabad and six other Directors of the bank for cheating, criminal misappropriation and criminal conspiracy. It involved sanctioning of loan overdraft limit of Rs. 40 crores to a private company. Searches were conducted in this connection at 11 places in Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Bangalore.

Two superintendents of Central Excise, Anti-Evasion cell, Kolkata were arrested while allegedly demanding a bribe of Rs. 1 lakh and accepting Rs. 25,000 as the first instalment.

A case of disproportionate assets was registered against a Deputy General Manager, BSNL, Gorakhpur and searches unearthed his investment in 12 plots, 12 bank accounts and a locker.

A case of disproportionate assets was registered against Chief Project Manager, Railway Vikas Nigam, Raipur, an officer of the joint secretary level. The CBI proceeded after obtaining permission from the competent authority.

During searches at Jabalpur, Nagpur and Gorakhpur, cash worth Rs. 7 lakhs was recovered along with 500 grams of gold ornaments and biscuits. The officer also allegedly owned landed property of more than 100 acres near Nagpur, CBI claimed in its official release.

An Assistant Commissioner of Delhi Police, working in the Crime branch, also came under the CBI microscope and searches at his premises disclosed his reported ownership of a farmhouse in South Delhi, a house in Delhi, a fleet of four luxurious cars and total assets running into Rs. 2 crores.

A case of disproportionate assets has been registered against him, CBI said.

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