Hyderabad: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Saturday arrested a plant protection officer, Directorate of Plant Protection, Quarantine & Storage Department, Ministry of Agriculture (Government of India), Visakhapatnam, and three private persons including a regional manager of a private company based at Visakhapatnam in a bribery case.
A case was registered against the plant protection officer, Directorate of Plant Protection, Quarantine & Storage Department, Ministry of Agriculture, and a regional manager of a private company based at Visakhapatnam.
It was alleged that the plant protection officer was demanding & collecting huge amounts of bribes from the CHAs, Fumigators, and Shipping Agents for issuing phytosanitary certificates for exporting the goods and Consignment Release Orders for imported consignments.
It was further alleged that the public servant demanded illegal gratification from the regional manager of a private company based at Visakhapatnam for clearing pending applications and issuing favorable certificates to customs for the release of import/export consignments of agricultural commodities.
CBI apprehended the plant protection officer, Visakhapatnam, and the said regional manager of a private company and recovered the bribe amount of Rs. 6000.
Searches were conducted at the premises of the accused & others including his associates at Visakhapatnam, Kakinada, and Roorkee (Uttarakhand). Cash of Rs 1,29,63,450 (approx.) was recovered from the premises of the public servant and Rs. 56,86,000 (approx.) allegedly belonging to the public servant was recovered from the premises of others. Certain incriminating documents were also recovered, CBI said in a press note.
All the arrested accused will be produced on Saturday before the court of principal special judge for CBI cases, Visakhapatnam.
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