CBI nabs CBEC officials in graft case

The CBI has arrested a Central Board of Excise and Custom (CBEC) official in Finance Ministry here and another in the Goods and Services Tax (GST) office in Mumbai on charges of demanding bribes, an official said on Tuesday.

The arrested accused persons have been identified as Ashish Thakur and S.K. Swaminathan.

Thakur is posted as an assistant section officer in the administration section of the CBEC office in the Finance Ministry office in North Block here while Swaminathan is a Superintendent of Central Excise and Customs, posted in GST`s Mumbai office.

Another Mumbai-based person Ravindra Kumar Mandal has also been arrested in the case, a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) official said.

It is alleged that Swaminathan had approached Thakur for favourable consideration of file pertaining to his promotion to the post of Assistant Commissioner that was pending because of certain ongoing disciplinary proceedings against him, says the CBI FIR.

Thakur allegedly assured Swaminathan he would favourably process his file in return of considerable illegal gratification, it said. He also gave contact number of Mandal for the delivery of the alleged bribe, it alleged.

Swminathan approached Mandal and spoke to Thakur over phone who demanded an amount of "50" from him assuring the promotion file would be processed favourably and an order issued shortly, it alleged.

The CBI alleged that Swaminathan agreed to pay half the amount initially and remaining after the order was issued.

The agency got information that Mandal was going to deposit the alleged bribe in the account of Thakur on Monday evening following which all the three were nabbed, the officials said. While Swaminathan and Mandal were arrested from Mumbai, Thakur was arrested from here.