INDIA. Mumbai: An inquiry will be conducted into a suicide committed by a customs officer attached to the Jawaharlal Nehru Customs House (JNCH) located in Raigad in Maharashtra, facing a CBI probe, in a bribery case related to the release of imported consignments without collecting Customs duty.
After a CBI investigation at a customs officer’s house, he ends his life
Customs Superintendent Mayak P Singh (38) allegedly committed suicide by jumping into a lake near Taloja Jail in Navi Mumbai on Friday after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) raided his house in Kharghar in Navi Mumbai on Thursday, August 24.
According to information, the deceased has left a suicide note naming 06 people, including 03 Customs officers, who allegedly pressurised him to release the consignments without collecting the Customs duty.
Speaking to Transcontinental Times, Senior Police Inspector Rajeev Shejval of Kharghar Police Station said that for the time being, an Accidental Death Report (ADR) has been registered, and further action will be taken only after his last rites were performed. His body has been kept in a morgue since his relatives are yet to arrive from Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh, he added.
Singh was residing alone at Valley Shilp Housing Society in Kharghar, while his wife was staying in New Delhi for the last few months. Singh, who was earlier posted in Customs’ bond section, was subsequently shifted to Parking Plaza, JNCH.
The official sources at JNCH said that the Commissioner General of Customs, D S Garbyal, will inquire into the alleged suicide by Singh and the people named by him in the suicide note.
An FIR (No RCO 262023A0031 dated August 21) was registered by the Anti Corruption Bureau, Mumbai, against Singh and others. Based on the FIR, the CBI conducted raids at Singh’s residence and also at the premises of “Shree Sai Snehal Import and Export Private Limited” and “Shree Marketing had Imported” located at Goregaon (Mumbai), Navi Mumbai, Thane, Noida and Sitapur (Uttar Pradesh).
Both these companies had imported certain goods under the Bill of Entry (No 6699481, dated December 16, 2021) and the Bill of Entry (No 7480205, dated February 14, 2022). In view of certain queries, the Central Intelligence Unit of the JNCH had kept the goods imported under the Bill of Entry (No 7480205) on hold.
The accused were booked under section 120 B of the Indian Penal Code and sections 7,8,9 and 12 of the Prevention of Corruption Act 1988 (amended in 2018). The importers were served show cause notice under the Indian Customs Act 1962 and were asked to pay Rs 14.52 lakh towards redemption fine/ penalty (Rs. 9,56,000/-plus Rs. 4,96,000/).
However, both the companies entered into a conspiracy with Singh allegedly by paying bribes and managed to get delivery of the goods without paying the due fine/ penalty, thereby causing loss to the Government Exchequer.
During the check by CBI, it was revealed that, on record, it was shown that the goods were re-exported on August 20, 2022. In support of this claim, the files (No. 5261 and 5263, dated August 05, 2022) were quoted. However, the files turned out to be fake, and it was revealed that Singh had managed the entire deal.
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