Visakhapatnam: Ex-excise officer gets 2 years RI for bribery

A former excise commissioner of Visakhapatnam, Port Area, has been sentenced to two years in rigorous imprisonment for taking Rs 15 lakh bribery during his stint in 2010.

Surender Pal Singh (an IRS officer of 1973 batch) was Commissioner, Central Excise, Port Area, Visakhapatnam when he misusing his official position to adjudicate a case of over Rs 4.5 crore tax evasion.

A special court found him guilty of criminal conspiracy and abusing his official position in the case. Three other people including a businessman, who helped Singh in the commit the crime, have been acquitted.

Singh initially demanded Rs 25 from the group of companies who evaded the tax and then reduced the amount to Rs 15.

He asked the Delhi-based businessman to collect Rs 15 lakh bribery amount from the person linked to the companies. The businessman, in turn, sent two men to Hyderabad to accept the bribe on behalf of Singh.

Meanwhile, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) got to know about their plans and arrested the two.

"Searches were conducted at the premises of accused persons which led to the recovery of documents consisting of shares, one locker key, Cash of Rs 1,40,000, US Dollars 1,019, Singapore Dollars 95, documents of immovable and movable properties and other incriminating documents," an official release said.

A case was registered under relevant sections of the IPC against Singh and others in March 2001.

The agency filed a chargesheet in the court of Additional Special Judge for CBI Cases, Visakhapatnam and three others in July 2004.