CBI to take tainted bureaucrat, 5 others to Daman
By IANSMonday, May 3, 2010
NEW DELHI - A city court Monday granted the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) a transit remand of a senior home ministry official and five others for taking them to Daman in connection with a Rs.340-crore tax evasion case.
Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer O. Ravi, joint secretary in charge of disaster management in the home ministry, three excise officers and two others were arrested by the CBI April 28 on charges of corruption, fraud and criminal conspiracy and causing a loss to the exchequer.
Special judge O.P. Saini while granting the transit remand said the accused will have to be produced before a court in Daman May 7.
Ravi, two excise inspectors - Ramesh Mahyavanshi and Vijay Halpati - and excise sub-inspector Suresh Dhodi were arrested after interrogation, said CBI.
Ravi’s close confidant Rakesh Rastogi, who used to accumulate and safeguard the officer’s illegal wealth, and Ashok Khemani, director of Royal Distillery, were also arrest, the CBI said.
The accused allegedly connived with six Daman-based distilleries to sell unauthorised, under-reported liquor to the neighbouring states of Goa, Gujarat and Maharashtra, evading excise duties by preparing fake documents.
“One of the distillers was in regular touch with Ravi to utilise his services, for which he (the bureaucrat) was paid Rs.25 lakh,” the CBI officer added.
The CBI searched 36 places linked to the accused in Daman, Mumbai and New Delhi. Offices of the distilleries in Daman were also raided.
