Central excise officer held for graft…..Pradeep Gupta
KALYAN: The anti-corruption branch of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday arrested superintendent of central excise at Kalyan for accepting a bribe of Rs 30,000 from the proprietor of Ambernath-based Hindustan Metal Company to settle an old case. The arrested officer, H R Pandey (40), was on Wednesday produced before a court, which remanded him in CBI custody till November 29.
In 2009, Pandey had seized goods worth Rs 33 lakh manufactured by the complainant’s-Kanhaiyalal Prajapati-firm on the grounds that he had not paid excise duty for the products. Pandey asked Prajapati to shell out Rs 5 lakh to settle the case. Prajapati paid Rs 1 lakh to Pandey, who continued to demand more money from him. In an attempt to push Prajapati into a corner, Pandey even issued a show cause notice against Prajapati. Fed up of Pandey’s strong-arm tactics, Prajapati approached the CBI on November 17. After verifying Prajapati’s claims, CBI officials laid a trap and nabbed Pandey accepting Rs 30,000 as instalment.to nab Pandey red-handed. Prajapati then called up Pandey and offered to pay Rs 30,000 upfront and the remaining amount in instalments. Pandey agreed and asked Prajapati to meet him in his office in Kalyan.
CBI officials caught Pandey when he was accepting Rs 30,000 from Prajapati.
Sleuths also searched Pandey’s office and residence and found that his son and wife own property worth crores. The officials also found that the Pandeys have a total of 17 bank accounts.
The arrested official was identified as H R Pandey, 40, he was the head of the Kalyan Central Excide department. On Wednesday, Pandey was produced in the Kalyan Court where he has been sent to ACB custody till 29th November.
Officials found total 17 banks accounts, one bank locker in ICICI bank, One Fixed deposit on the name of accused while they had also found one garment shop in Kalyan on the named of accused wife.
According to CBI officials, in 2009, arrested accused Pandey had seized rupees 33 lakhs excess products manufactured by the company which belongs to complainant, Kanhaiyalal Prajapati for allegedly not paying excise duty on products.
Officials claimed that after seizing products, Pandey started demanding rupees five lakhs bribe from complainant Prajapati to settle the matter out of which complainant paid rupees one lakhs.
Officials further said that, after getting rupees one lakhs amount Pandey again started forcing Prajapati to paid remaining four lakhs amount. To get money Pandey also used his power and issued so cause notice to Prajapati.
Frustrated with accused demand then, Prajapati on 17th November approach the CBI.
After registering complaint CBI first verified details given by Prajapati and then planned to trapped the accused raid handed.
To caught accused complainant Prajapati approached Pandey claiming he doesn’t have full amount and he will able to pay rupees 30000 only and will pay remaining amount later. Subsequently on Tuesday CBI laid trap in Kalyan Excise office and caught Pandey while accepting rupees 30000 raid hand.
After arresting Pandey, CBI officials also searched office and residences of Pandey and recovered crores of properties in the name of Pandey and his wife and son’s name.
ACB officials said they are yet to find out total properties of the Pandey and still verify his whole bank account details.