Customs officials arrested for ‘bribery’ get bail; CBI moves HC

MUMBAI:

A special court here on Saturday granted bail to seven persons including four Deputy Commissionerrank officials of Mumbai Customs in a bribery case, even as the CBI moved the Bombay High Court seeking their further custody.

While the central agency said it wanted to unearth the larger conspiracy, the special CBI court judge, P K Sharma, said it was making “mountain out of a molehill”.

The agency arrested the four Customs officials and two others on May 1 for allegedly demanding a bribe of Rs 50 lakh from an importer to clear his two consignments. They were remanded in CBI custody for three days. Another person was arrested later.

The special court on Friday remanded all of them in judicial custody even as the CBI sought their further custody.

The agency today moved the Bombay High Court, seeking custody of the accused.

As the bail pleas of the accused came up before the lower court later in the day, the CBI told the judge that it had moved the high court.

Judge P K Sharma said he was not concerned with that application and asked the CBI to file a reply to bail pleas.

The CBI lawyer said it needed more time to investigate the case as it is part of a larger conspiracy in which higher officials could be involved. The accused didn't cooperate during the initial CBI custody, the lawyer said.

The judge, however, noted that the investigation was substantially over, and said it appeared that the prosecution was making “mountain out of a mole(hill)”.

In its petition in the high court on Saturday, the CBI sought custody of the accused till May 13.