CBI arrests 2 for attempting to bribe customs official

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested the director of a trading company and a customs broker on Friday for allegedly attempting to bribe an Assistant Commissioner, Customs (Marine and Preventive) Mumbai.

The accused have been identified as Himansu Ajmera, a customs broker and Manav Jagarwal, director, Avista Multi Trade Pvt Ltd. According to a CBI official, the Assistant Commissioner had seized a tempo of smuggled goods containing mobile accessories from CST approximately valued at Rs 4 crore. The official said that on the seizure, the director of Avista Multi Trade, Rajendrasingh Rajpurohit, came forward to claim the goods along with his brother Jagarwal. The complainant recorded the statement of Rajpurohit.

The official said that on the same day, Ajmera came to meet him as a representative of the trader and offered him a bribe in exchange for favours. The customs officer then lodged the complaint and the CBI started probing the matter. "During the investigation, a trap was laid. Ajmera and Jagarwal were arrested while they were attempting to give bribe to the customs officer. Searches were conducted in three places of the accused which led us to recover incriminating documents," said a CBI official.

The arrested accused were produced before the Special Judge, Mumbai on Saturday and were remanded to two days CBI custody.