CBI Chases Customs Officers for Complaint on Procedural Violation of Silver Consignment, Bribe for Silver of 49 lakh Value Alleged

The agency said that the 60 kg silver was allegedly seized by Mumbai Customs on the ground that proper procedures for the transportation had not been followed by the complainant -- an official of the Kolhapur-based company.

THE CBI on Thursday arrested an assistant commissioner and a superintendent of Customs department in Mumbai in an alleged bribery case.

According to the CBI, a private company in Kolhapur had allegedly purchased 74 kg of silver from a private company based in Ahmedabad on October 5, last year.

Of the 74 kg of silver, 60 kg were transported from Gujarat to Maharashtra the next day in two packages.

The agency said that the 60 kg silver was allegedly seized by Mumbai Customs on the ground that proper procedures for the transportation had not been followed by the complainant — an official of the Kolhapur-based company.

The complainant went on to attend an inquiry before Superintendent Niraj Singh at New Customs House in Mumbai. An officer said that Singh took the complainant to the office of assistant commissioner A P Bandekar. The officer added that a bribe of Rs 19 lakh was demanded by Singh and Bandekar for the release of the seized silver.

As the complainant approached the CBI, the agency laid a trap and caught the superintendent red handed while accepting a bribe of Rs 2 lakh. Later, Bandekar was also picked up.

The CBI then carried out searches at the residence of the two accused and recovered some incriminating documents, the officer said.

Following this, the two accused were formally arrested and produced before a local court that remanded them to police custody till February 27.