Mumbai: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Monday arrested four persons including Assistant Director, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), Regional Office, Mumbai and three private persons viz : a Director, a Sr. Manager and another representative of a Thane based private company, in a case related to demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 1.20 lakh in lieu of clearance of pending bills of the said private company.
Those arrested have been identified as Amol Jagtap, Asst. Director (Technical), FSSAI, Regional Office, Mumbai, Dr. Vikas Bhardwaj, Director of M/s. Reliable Analytical Laboratories Pvt. Ltd., Harshal Chougule, Sr. Manager and Gurunath Dubule also an employee of the company. The arrested accused were produced before the Competent Court and have been remanded to Police Custody till 08.05.2024.
According to the CBI, information received through reliable sources had revealed that Amol Jagtap, Assistant Director (Technical), FSSAI, Regional Office, Mumbai, in connivance with a number of intermediaries is involved in illegal & corrupt practices of demanding and accepting bribes from Food Business Operators and other interested parties for dishonest discharge of public duty in his capacity as public servant.
“Information further revealed that the private company is a chain of chemical laboratories, notified by FSSAI, engaged in analysis of samples forwarded to it by FSSAI. Its main lab is situated in Bhiwandi, Thane, with the corporate office at Majiwada, Thane. Source information revealed that on 22.03.2024 Amol Jagtap agreed to accept a bribe from a company official in lieu of clearance of pending bills of the company,” said a CBI official.
