CBI arrests Union Agriculture Ministry official in bribery case, Rs 1.86 crore recovered during search

The CBI has arrested an officer of the Union Agriculture Ministry in connection with the bribery case. Along with the officer, 3 other persons including the manager of a private company based in Visakhapatnam have also been arrested. 

The Union Agriculture Ministry official is accused of soliciting bribes from CHA fumigators and shipping agents for issuing phytosanitary certificates of goods to be exported and imported consignments. Further, the officer had sought bribe from the regional manager of a Visakhapatnam-based private company for clearing the pending application and issuing a favorable certificate to the customs for freeing the consignments of import/export of agricultural commodities.

CBI arrested Union Agriculture Ministry officer and Regional Manager of Visakhapatnam based private company with Rs 6000 as bribe. The CBI conducted searches at the houses of the accused and his associates located at Visakhapatnam, Kakinada, Roorkee (Uttarakhand). After which about Rs 1 crore 30 lakh in cash and Rs 59 thousand have been recovered from the houses of the associates of the public servant. Apart from this, some investment documents have also been recovered from the spot.