In the case of disproportionate assets, the special CBI court convicted a former Superintendent of Customs at Jawaharlal Nehru Customs House, Uran, Raigad, for possessing assets 233% beyond his known sources of income in 2013.
The court sentenced Peeyush Kumar Pandey to two years of imprisonment, imposed a fine of Rs 50,000, and ordered the forfeiture of Rs 88.23 lakh worth of disproportionate assets to the state. Following the conviction, his lawyer sought suspension of the sentence to appeal before the High Court, which was granted along with bail. The case originated during a 2013 corruption investigation, during which his house was raided. Officers seized Rs 96.92 lakh in cash and documents related to assets and expenditures. While the corruption inquiry was closed, the CBI initiated an inquiry into disproportionate assets.
The investigation revealed that during his tenure as a public servant between January 1, 1998, and February 4, 2013, he possessed disproportionate assets amounting to Rs 1.02 crore in his and his family’s names, for which he failed to provide a satisfactory explanation. The CBI filed a chargesheet against him on December 12, 2014.
The accused had sought discharge from the case, arguing that proceedings against customs officials required a show-cause notice and hearing. The court rejected his plea, noting that he had acquired assets worth Rs 1.20 crore during the check period, far exceeding his likely savings of Rs 18.14 lakh. The chargesheet also showed the seizure of Rs 96.92 lakh in cash during the search.
