Mumbai: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested three officials of the Assistant Drugs Controller (India) office in Maharashtra’s Panvel in connection with a bribery case, officials said on Thursday.
The CBI crackdown came in the wake of mounting concerns regarding “rampant corruption” within the Panvel office of the Assistant Drugs Controller, a subsidiary of the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), officials familiar with the matter told India Today TV.
The central probe agency conducted a joint surprise check with the vigilance department on April 2 and during this, it surfaced that several private persons were collecting bribes on behalf of the suspect officials from Customs House Agents (CHAs) in the name of facilitating no-objection certificates (NOC) for their clients, officials said.
“During the surprise check, a cash amount of Rs 1.52 lakh (approx) was recovered from the drawers of public servants and private persons, which the concerned public servants and private persons present in the said office could not satisfactorily explain,” CBI said in its official statement.
The unexplained cash, reportedly accepted as bribes by the implicated public officials, was allegedly procured from CHAs or their representatives, either directly or via intermediaries, in exchange for the issuance of NOCs, they added.
The three officials were later arrested and searches at their residences resulted in the seizure of cash worth Rs 46.70 lakh and jewellery valued around Rs 27.80 lakh.
The searches also yielded pertinent documents related to various immovable assets and other incriminating evidence.
The three officials who were arrested included the Assistant Drug Controller, a Drug Inspector and a subordinate staff of CDSCO.
“CBI booked an Assistant Drugs Controller Arvind R Hiwale, a Drug Inspector Devendra Nath and a subordinate staff Nageshwar N Sabbani, all posted at the Panvel office of the Assistant Drugs Controller (India), CDSCO, and three private persons, including one working on a contractual basis,” the CBI statement said.
The three public servants have been remanded in police custody till April 8//*
