Bribery case: CBI seize Rs. 1.86 cr cash from Vizag plant protection officer

Visakhapatnam: The CBI on Saturday carried out searches at the office and residential premises of R. Padam Singh, the plant protection officer of Visakhapatnam directorate of plant protection, quarantine and storage department, ministry of agriculture, at Vizag, Kakinada, and Roorkee (Uttarakhand) and seized Rs. 1.86 crore cash and certain incriminating documents.

The anti-corruption wing of CBI, Vizag, arrested a plant protection officer and a representative of Exim Logistics Private Limited on Friday. R. Padam Singh, the plant protection officer, accepted a bribe of Rs. 6,000 from Athi Bulli Reddiyya, the regional manager of Exim Logistics Private Limited, to clear pending applications.

The CBI officials received reliable information that Padam Singh was demanding and collecting huge amounts of bribes from CHAs, fumigators, and shipping agents to issue phytosanitary certificates for exporting goods and consignment release orders for imported consignments.

Based on concrete evidence of corrupt practices of Singh, CBI conducted searches at the residential premises of the accused persons in three places. The searches led to the seizure of Rs. 1,86,55,450 cash and certain incriminating documents on Saturday.

Padam Singh, Athi Bulli Reddiyya alias Murali, S. Siva Rama Gupta, and Myla Srikrishna Varma, proprietor of quality fumigation and pest control services, Kakinada, were arrested and produced before the court of special judge for CBI cases, Visakhapatnam, on Saturday.