FSSAI 'corruption': CBI arrests assistant director red-handed taking bribe

The CBI on Monday arrested an assistant director of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) posted at Mumbai along with the director of a private testing lab and two others in a bribery case of Rs 1.20 lakh, officials said.

The agency arrested Amol Jagtap, Assistant Director, FSSAI, Regional Office, Mumbai; Vikas Bhardwaj, Director of Reliable Analytical Laboratories Pvt. Ltd; Harshal Chougule, senior manager of the company; and a company representative in the case, they said.

The searches conducted at the residence of the accused resulted in the seizure of Rs. 37.3 lakh cash, about 45 gram gold and documents pertaining to various immovable properties and other incriminating documents, the officials said.

Jagtap was allegedly receiving the bribe of Rs 1.20 lakh for clearing pending bills of the Thane-based Reliable Analytical Laboratories Pvt Ltd. The company runs a chain of chemical laboratories notified by the FSSAI which is engaged in analysis of samples forwarded to it by the FSSAI.

The FSSAI is a statutory body of the Union Government responsible for regulating the manufacturing, storage, distribution, sale, and import of food articles, and monitoring of quality standards of food articles sold in the country.

"It was also alleged that accused Assistant Director, FSSAI, agreed to accept bribe from accused Senior Manager of the private company, who would deliver bribe on behalf of Director of the said Company in lieu of clearance of their pending bills," the agency said in a statement.

The CBI laid a trap on a complaint received by it during which Jagtap was arrested red-handed while receiving the illegal gratification from Chougule and another representative of the private company.

"The arrested accused were produced before the competent court and have been remanded to police custody till May 8, 2024," a CBI spokesperson said.