TNI Bureau: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has busted a major passport racket in West Bengal and Sikkim and arrested a Senior Superintendent of Passport Seva Laghu Kendra (PSLK), Gangtok (Sikkim) and a private person in an alleged bribery of Rs.1.90 Lakh.
A case was registered against 24 accused including Deputy Passport Officer (DPO), Kolkata; Senior Superintendent, PSLK, Gangtok (Sikkim); other public servants, private persons etc.
It was alleged that public servants of Regional Passport Office (RPO) Kolkata & Passport Seva Laghu Kendra (PSLK) Gangtok entered criminal conspiracy with others including passport agents, middlemen and in pursuance of said conspiracy, the accused were issuing passports on the basis of false & forged identity documents submitted by middlemen on behalf of those persons/applicants who are non-residents of India in lieu of illegal gratification.
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CBI recovered Rs. 1.90 Lakh from Senior Superintendent, PSLK Gangtok while accepting the same from a Private Person (an agent) at Siliguri. Both the accused were apprehended. They have been identified as Goutam Kumar Saha, the Senior Superintendent, PSLK of Gangtok and Dipu Chetri, Private Person (an agent).
During search, an amount of Rs. 3.08 Lakh (approx) was also recovered from the possession of said public servant.
As part the crackdown on the racket, searches were conducted at around 50 places including at Kolkata, Gangtok, Siliguri, Darjeeling, Alipur Dwar, etc. at the premises of accused including public servants & others which led to recovery of large number of incriminating documents related to identity proofs, issuance of forged passports.
The arrested accused will be produced before the Competent Court.
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