CBI arrests 3 CDSCO officials in bribery case

CBI Mumbai unit arrests 3 CDSCO officials in bribery case. Recovered cash & jewelry worth over ₹74L. Allegedly taking bribes for NOCs from pharmaceutical clients.

Mumbai: The Central Bureau of Investigation’s (CBI) Mumbai unit has arrested three officials including an assistant drugs controller and a drug inspector with the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) of the directorate general of health services, ministry of health and family welfare, in an alleged bribery case. During search operations at the premises of one of the accused, the agency recovered ₹46.7 lakh in cash and gold/ silver jewellery worth ₹27.8 lakh, said CBI sources.

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It was alleged that some private persons were allegedly collecting bribe on behalf of three officials – assistant drugs controller Arvind Hiwale, drugs inspector Devendra Nath and a subordinate staff, Nageshwar Sabbani, all posted at the office of the assistant drugs controller, CDSCO, Panvel. The bribes were allegedly being collected from customs house agents for facilitating the issuance of no objection certificates to their clients such as manufacturers, exporters, and importers of pharmaceutical drugs.

The CBI probe was initiated on based on information from a reliable source alleging rampant corruption in the Panvel office of the assistant drugs controller of the CDSCO. Pursuant to the receipt of information, a team of CBI officers along with organisation’s vigilance officers and independent witnesses conducted a “joint surprise check” at the assistant drugs controller’s office on Tuesday, said CBI sources.

The surprise check yielded over ₹1.52 lakh cash from the drawers of public servants as well as private persons, the sources mentioned. When confronted by the CBI regarding the source and nature of the funds recovered during the check, the concerned public servants and a few private persons present at the office could not offer any satisfactory explanation for the same, the sources added.

The probe found that the ₹1.52 lakh cash was allegedly accepted by a few suspect public servants as bribe from agents or their representatives, either directly or through private persons, for the issuance of NOCs.

“During the surprise check, written complaints regarding demand and acceptance of bribe by public servants were received by the CBI from various agents and their representatives,” the CBI source said.

Based on these complaints, CBI’s anti-corruption branch registered a first information report against the three public servants and three private persons, Sarvesh Gaikwad, Dyaneshwar Konde and Datta Patade.