FSSAI Bribery Case: Senior Official Arrested By CBI Over Bribery Charge, Crores Seized During Searches

FSSAI Bribery Case: CBI arrested four including FSSAI's Mumbai regional office Assistant Director during accepting bribe from the Senior manager of a Thane-based private firm.

CBI arrested four including FSSAI officer while accepting bribe of Rs 1.2 lakh from the Senior manager of a Thane-based private firm. (Image used for representational purposes only) ( Image Source :PTI )

FSSAI Bribery Case: The Central Bureau of Investigation on Monday in its press release confirmed the arrest of four accused including the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Assistant Director, Mumbai regional office. The other three persons including the Director, Senior Manager, and another representative of a Thane-based private company were also nabbed red-handedly during the exchange of bribe worth Rs 1.20 lakh.

The private company involved in the case is Thane's Reliable Analytical Laboratories Pvt Ltd, which runs a chain of chemical laboratories that are notified by the FSSAI and is also engaged in the analysis of samples which the FSSAI forwards to it.

Here's what we know about CBI's searches and arrests related to the FSSAI bribery case:

• CBI arrested FSSAI's Assistant Director Amol Jagtap and three other private persons of a Thane company named Relaible Analytical Laboratories Pvt Ltd, in a case filed against them for demanding and accepting Rs 1.20 lakh bribe for clearing the pending bills of the said private company.
• The central probe agency registered a case against them, alleging that the FSSAI AD, in connivance with several other intermediaries was involved in corrupt practices such as demanding and acepting bribes, which is illegal.
• The FSSAI official accepted bribes from Food Business Operators and other interested parties as well, to favour them by misusing his capacity as a public servant.
• CBI also alleged that the accused FSSAI AD had agreed to accept the bribe from the Thane-based private firm's Senior Manager, who was supposed to deliver the bribe on behalf of the company's Director, Vikas Bhardwaj, in lieu of cleaing the company's pending bills.
• In a bid to catch them red-handed, CBI laid a trap and nabbed the accused while accepting the bribe worth Rs 1.20 Lakh from the Senior Manager, who was also accompanied by another unkwown company representative.
• The central probe agency on Sunday arrested the three accused at a bar where they had gone to exchange the bribe, and later apprehended the private company's Director as well.
• Following the arrests, CBI also conducted a search at the office and residential premises of the accused. 
• There the central agency on Monday recovered around Rs 37.30 Lakh cash and 45 grams of gold. Additionally, the documents of various immovable properties and other incriminating documents were also recovered.
• On Tuesday, CBI seized more than Rs 1.42 crore in cash during the searches conducted at the company's Senior Manager Harshal Choughle's residence.
• Besides this, a laptop, incriminatin documents, and two gold biscuits, were also seized from Choughle's residence.
• "With today's operation total cash recovered amounts to Rs 1.8 Cr along with gold/ gold biscuits, etc. during the searches carried out by CBI after the trap," the CBI spoksperson stated.
• The arrested accused were thereafter produced before the court, where they were remanded to a police custody till May 8.
• Further investigation into the matter is currently underway.