CBI arrests 2 customs officials in Adani case
PTI, PANAJI | 02 March 2010 10:53 IST
Two customs and central excise officers were arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with a tax evasion scam, involving Rajesh Adani, managing director of Adani enterprises in Gujarat. He was arrested and released by the court last week.
Superintendent of Police (CBI) (ACB) S S Gawali told PTI today that both the senior officers were apprehended from their residences in Goa. They would be now taken for a remand in a local court.
Gawali today said the excise officers arrested are currently in service and were involved in the scam that took place sometimes during 2006-07.
The accused are amongst the ten excise officials against who needle of suspicion points out in the scam running in crores of rupees. A high profile businessperson Rajesh Adani, managing director of Adani enterprises, a part of Adani group, was arrested last week in Gujarat.
Adani was bailed out by Gujarat high court little before he was brought to Goa on transit remand.
CBI's anti-corruption bureau in Goa had received the complaint in 2008, which claimed excise evasion on the three consignments of naphtha and furnace oil. Besides this, the accused had stored the material in Goa despite requisite licence for the same had expired.
The scam is calculated to the tune of Rs 1.07 crore of which Rs 88 lakh were in the form of excise tax evasion and rest in warehousing facility.
The central agency has also booked a case against two firms M/s Ganesh Benzoplast Ltd, Mumbai, which is a clearinghouse firm, M/s J A F Leitao, and Sons, Goa.
CBI had booked a case under section 120-B read with 420 of IPC and section 13 (2) read with 13 (1) (d) of prevention of corruption (PC) act, 1988.
The CBI wants to conduct this trial through Media.
The guilty should be punished, but the authorities have waited since Yr 2006-07, is there a reason ?