CBI nabs four top Mumbai customs officials in graft case

In a major swoop, the CBI has arrested four Deputy Commissioners of Customs and a Superintendent in an an alleged case of bribery, an official said here on Tuesday.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) said that the accused demanded a bribe of Rs 5 million from a complainant for arranging the clearance of a consignment of goods which was kept illegally on hold, and also for not holding back all his future consignments at the port.

The deal was arranged through an agent who assured the complainant that he would "manage" the officers of the Special Intelligence & Investigation Branch, the Marine & Preventive Wing and Rummaging & Intelligence Wing of the Mumbai Customs department to clear all his consignments without any hurdles.

Following the complaint, the CBI laid a trap and initially caught two Deputy Commissioners and the agent red-handed for accepting Rs 500,000 as the first installment of the bribe from a partner of the complainant.

During their interrogation, the role of two other Deputy Commissioners and a customs Superintendent also came to light and they were arrested.

The accused are identified as: Deputy Commissioners Sudarshan Meena (SIIB), Rajeev Kumar Singh (M&P), Mukesh Meena (R&I) at Nhava Sheva and Sandeep Yadav.

Customs Superintendent Manish Singh and agent Nilesh Singh were also arrested, and further probe is underway.

The CBI sleuths have raided the offices and residences of all the accused who were later produced before a court on Tuesday.

--IANS

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