The CBI has recovered Rs 1.86 crore in cash allegedly belonging to a Union agriculture ministry official who has been booked in a bribery case in Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh, officials said on Saturday.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested Padam Singh, Plant Protection Officer of the ministry posted at Visakhapatnam, along with Athi Bulli Reddiya alias Murali, regional manager, Exim Logistics Private Limited, in a bribery case of Rs 6,000, the agency said in a statement.
It was alleged that the officer was collecting huge amounts of money in bribes from fumigators and shipping agents for issuing phytosanitary certificates for exporting goods and consignment release orders for imported consignments, it said.
"It was further alleged that the public servant (Singh) demanded illegal gratification from the regional manager (Reddiya) of a private company based at Visakhapatnam for clearing a pending application and issuing a favourable certificate to customs for release of import or export consignments of agricultural commodities," the statement said.
The searches were conducted at the premises of the accused and his associates at Visakhapatnam, Kakinada and Roorkee. The agency said cash amounting to Rs 1,29,63,450 was recovered from the premises of the public servant and Rs 56.86 lakh also allegedly belonging to him was recovered from the premises of others.
(With PTI Inputs)
