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CBI unearths assets worth crores of Customs officials

Special Correspondent

They were arrested while "accepting" a bribe of Rs. 20,000 in Tiruchi

NEW DELHI: The Central Bureau of Investigation, which arrested four Customs officials in Tiruchi on bribery charges, has stumbled upon movable and immovable assets running into crores of rupees allegedly amassed by them .

Official sources in the agency said the searches in Tiruchi were completed on Wednesday morning and the Special Judge, Madurai, had remanded all the four arrested to judicial custody for 15 days. The four officials of the Central Excise were arrested while allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs. 20,000 from a complainant who sought reduction of penalty of excise duty and interest.

Searches in houses

Searches at the residence of the Commissioner (Appeals) revealed possession of two flats in Mumbai, 23 acres of land and a shop at Sholapur, Maharashtra, a plot in Nasik, shares and fixed deposits worth Rs. 21 lakh, Rs. 40,000 in cash and jewellery of 20 sovereigns. The CBI sources claimed that the Commissioner was reportedly getting his ill-gotten money transferred to Mumbai through hawala channel.

Searches at the residence of one of the Superintendents of Central Excise revealed possession of three flats and four plots in Tiruchi, one plot each in Namakkal and Sriperumbudur, five container lorries used for transport of petroleum products besides a Hyundai Getz car valued at Rs. 5 lakh. The Superintendent is learnt to be doing financing business.

Another Superintendent of Central Excise was found to be in possession of one house and one flat in Tiruchi besides bank balance and other deposits worth Rs. 10 lakh. He also owns an Alto car and two motorbikes.

Trap laid

Based on a complaint, the CBI registered a case under the Prevention of Corruption Act and laid a trap. During the probe, it was found that one of the Superintendents allegedly demanded and accepted Rs. 20,000 and handed over it to the Commissioner (Appeals) for arranging a favourable appellate order reducing the penalty of Rs. 4.72 lakh payable by the complainant to Rs. 1 lakh.

On learning of the CBI presence, the Commissioner gave the amount to another Superintendent of Central Excise, who in turn handed over the same to a contingent staff. The team arrested all the four.

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