CBI books customs official for bribery in Chennai

The CBI has registered a case against a customs official for allegedly accepting a bribe to give clearance to imported goods at the Chennai Port, an official said on Tuesday.

The customs official -- Munusamy -- works as an appraiser for the Customs Department and allegedly accepted a bribe of Rs 40,000 in Chennai on November 12, he said.

A case was on Monday registered under the Prevention of Corruption Act against Munusamy and one Vinod who accepted the bribe on his behalf, the CBI official said, adding that further investigations in the matter are going on.

According to the investigating agency, it received a complaint on Monday from one S Madhu Kumar, owner of a private shipping firm, claiming that Munusamy had demanded a bribe of Rs 80,000 from him at the Chennai Port to clear a batch of polyster rolls that he had ordered from China for one of his clients.

The complainant said that fearing late arrival of goods if he didn't pay the bribe, he negotiated with Munusamy to bring the bribe amount down to Rs 50,000.

The accused allegedly asked Kumar to pay the sum to one Vinod at the Chennai Port. After the Rs 40,000 was paid, Vinod allegedly kept calling Kumar repeatedly for the remaining amount of the bribe, the CBI official said.