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Top customs official, 7 others remanded to JC on graft charge

Tapas Sikdar, a Customs Superintendent, and seven others held by CBI on charges of indulging in corruption were on Tuesday remanded to judicial custody till April 16 by a special court in Bombay.

CBI arrested Sikdar on March 29 for accepting Rs 1 million from the co-accused for selling undervalued goods from a customs warehouse.

The accused were produced before special judge A R Joshi who remanded Sikdar, Virendra Singh, Chandubhai Shah, Ramesh Nambiar and Kishore Sawla Jain to judicial custody.

They were last week remanded to police custody till Tuesday.

The judicial custody of two other accused, Popat Rambhia and Dharamchand Babel Jain, was also extended till April 16.

The accused have been charged with IPC sections 120-b (conspiracy), 420 (cheating) and sections 7 and 13 of Prevention of Corruption Act.

All the accused urged for bail through their lawyers Majeed Memon and I J Mansharamani. The prosecution has been asked to file its say on Wednesday. The court has twice rejected their bail plea.

According to CBI, Sikdar was posted at Sewree customs warehouse. The investigating agency received a tip-off that some persons would visit Sikdar's office to pay bribe. A trap was laid and co-accused were noticed in Sikdar's office.

On seeing CBI sleuths, Sikdar went to toilet holding a polythene bag containing the money. The bag was found inside the toilet. It came to light that the accused had collectively given him the money as bribe for sale and delivery of consumer goods at prices lower than market rates.

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