What's new

30 Navy officials to face case for fake travel bills

RPK

SENIOR MEMBER
Joined
Jul 6, 2009
Messages
6,862
Reaction score
-6
Country
India
Location
United States
30 Navy officials to face case for fake travel bills - The Times of India

NEW DELHI: Exposing a major security hazard at Indian airports, the CBI has recovered a large number of forged rubber stamps of security checks of different airports, baggage identity stickers of different airlines of India and their blank boarding passes; blank tickets and boarding passes of directorate of shipping, which were being used by none other than officials of Indian Navy.

CBI has booked a Commander — Sachin Dane— and 30 other officials of navy, who were posted at Port Blair earlier, for claiming travel expenses by bills of lading, transportation documents and permanent duty claims.

Sources say that the scam is possibly running into several crores but so far, loss of Rs 19.77 lakh to government exchequer has come to light during primary investigations.

CBI officials said the losses might be running into crores. CBI added that it has sought details of all the navy officials who were posted in Port Blair in last few years alongwith details of their travel.

The masterminds of whole scandal are said to be an employee of Fire Service of Indian Navy, identified as Gandhi Behera posted at Port Blair and a civilian cook at INS Jarowa — V Kashilingam, from whom large number of rubber stamps, used for security checks at airports, have been recovered. Behera and Kashilingam were arrested by CBI team.

Recovery of large number of security check 'seals' from accused persons rings alarm bells in the wake of recent attack on Karachi airport. "If security check seals are faked, then anybody can enter our airports," said a senior officer.

CBI officials say such a scam could not run without the knowledge of senior navy officials.

The intensity of scam could be gauged with the fact that accused persons were running their own printing press for fabricating documents.

The navy Commander — Dane — has been booked for criminal conspiracy, cheating, forgery and prevention of corruption act alongwith 30 other officials of the navy.
 
Central Bureau of Investigation


The Central Bureau of Investigation has arrested an employee of Fire Service of Indian Navy, Port Blair and a Civilian Cook at INS Jarowa in an on-going investigation of a case relating to an alleged loss of Rs.19.77 lakhs to State Exchequer.



Searches were conducted at the premises of accused at Port Blair which led to recovery of forged rubber stamps of Security Checks of different Airports i.e. Delhi, Jammu, Guwahati, Bangalore, Chennai, Port Blair etc; Baggage Identity Stickers of different Airlines of India & their Blank Boarding Passes; Blank tickets & boarding passes of Directorate of Shipping, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Port Blair; used boarding passes of different airlines & ship tickets; eight numbers of hard discs; air ticket itinerary in the name of different Navy Officials for their LTC claims; scanners/printers; one diary containing details of Navy Officials; Cash receipt books & bill books of different transporters; bank pay-in-slips of SBI (Amba Puan/Beherampur). Searches were also conducted at the residence of accused at Ganjam, Distt-Beherampur(Odisha) and at the Printing Press, Ganjam, Distt. Beherampur. The search at the Printing Press led to recovery of master copy of boarding passes of Directorate of Shipping Service, Port Blair; Way Bills; Debit/Credit vouchers of a Chennai based private firm; Bill of Lading of a Chennai based firm; blank tickets of Directorate of Shipping Service, A&N Island and computer printer & CPU. The search is still continuing.



Initial investigation so far revealed that the forged documents were allegedly prepared at Printing Press at Ganjam, Distt. Behrampur and thereafter, it was supplied to the arrested accused.



Both the arrested accused were produced today before the Designated Court at Port Blair and were remanded to Police Custody upto 20.06.2014.



CBI had earlier registered a case U/s 120-B, 420, 465, 468, 471 IPC & U/s 13(2) r/w 13(1)(d) of Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 against then Commander, Indian Navy, Port Blair (Andaman & Nocobar Island) and 30 then officials of Indian Navy for allegedly using forged & fabricated bills of lading, transportation documents and permanent duty claims. A loss to the tune of Rs. 19,77,517/-(approx.) was caused to the State Exchequer.



Further investigation is continuing.
 
Back
Top Bottom