CBI books plant quarantine officials on graft charges

Two top plant quarantine officials are among several persons booked by CBI today on charge of accepting bribes from custom house agents of Tuticorin for issuing certificates for export and import consignments.
CBI also said it seized from the officials Rs 7.10 lakh allegedly received from various agents.
Searches at Chennai, New Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Madurai and Tuticorin were being conducted in this regard, a CBI release said adding further investigation was on.
The top officials booked are Regional Plant Quarantine Station, Chennai, Joint Director Dr P Manickam, Joint Director (Plant Protection), Directorate of Plant Protection Quarantine & Storage, Ministry of Agriculture, New Delhi, Satyanarayana.

Others against whom the CBI Anti-Corruption Branch has filed the case include Assistant Plant Protection Officer-X Ray Technician, A Maharajan, Assistant Plant Protection officer Rampratap and Rajkumar, representative of National Fumigation, Tuticorin, the release said.
It said the Joint Directors were intercepted at the airport here while returning from Tuticorin and were 'found to be carrying an illegal gratification to the tune of Rs 7.10 lakh which they have collected from various custom house agents."
They have been accused of demanding and accepted gratification from various customs house agents, fumigators and shipping agents of Tuticorin for issuing certificates for exports and consignment release orders for imports, the release said.