Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, June 15: The Central Bureau of Investigations (CBI) today arrested two officers of Department of Agriculture, Government of India, red handed while accepting corruption for issuing plant health certificate to the traders engaged in import-export of items from cross-LoC route of Poonch-Rawlakote.
The officers had been demanding corruption of Rs 200 per truck for providing plant health certificates from the cross-LoC traders.
The arrested officers have been identified as Buta Singh, Assistant Plant Protection Officer, Department of Agriculture, Government of India and his Assistant Ganga Singh, TO-I.
Official sources told the Excelsior that Anti-Corruption Branch of CBI, Jammu arrested both the officers as soon as they accepted gratification from the cross-LoC traders in lieu of providing plant health certificate to them for sending trucks carrying products of organic nature across the Line of Control (LoC) through Chakan-Da-Bagh.
Sources said a well knit racket was operating for facilitating movement of trucks from Poonch to Rawlakote carrying perishable goods by providing them plant health certificates charging Rs 200 from per truck.
On getting a complaint from some of the traders that they were being made to pay Rs 200 per truck, the CBI planned a raid. They also had reports that a trader was forced to call back his trucks as `Imli’ being a perishable item was being exported to Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK). The trader had refused to fulfill demand of the officers for payment of Rs 200 per truck.
The complainant had told the CBI that he was also exporting dry grapes, bananas etc across Chakan-Da-Bagh and the officials wouldn’t permit him the export if he didn’t pay the bribe.
“The complaint was got verified and was found to be credible”’, sources said.
On the basis of complaint, the CBI ACB Jammu laid a trap and caught both the accused red handed while accepting corruption of Rs 2400 from the traders red handed in presence of independent witnesses and Magistrate.
A regular case has been registered against both the officers under Prevention of Corruption Act against Buta Singh and Ganga Singh.
The CBI produced both the accused before a Court at Poonch today and took their transit remand for Jammu.
The accused were shifted to Jammu late tonight and lodged in the police station of Vigilance Organisation.
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