MUMBAI: The CBI registered over 12 separate FIRs against passport officials, most of them posted at Malad and Lower Parel, and private individuals for engaging in corruption and issuing passports based on forged documents. The agency searched 33 premises in the city and Nashik on Saturday and seized digital evidence related to passport documents.
Two days before the search, the CBI, along with Regional Passport Officer (RPO-Mumbai) Dr Rajesh Gawande’s team and vigilance department of Passport Seva Programme (PSP) Division, Ministry of External Affair had jointly checked the suspected officials at the two passport seva kendra on Wednesday and while examining mobile phones found UPI payment transactions of those officials with touts.
CBI said that the suspected officials were demanding and accepting undue advantage through the passport facilitation agents for issuance of passports as well as to get passports issued based on inadequate/fake/forged documents. During the joint check, the team found that in connivance with various passport facilitation agents / touts, the accused passport officials were receiving huge money directly in their own bank accounts or in the bank accounts of their family members from the passport facilitation agents / touts.
The CBI FIRs says that during the joint check, the mobile phones of the staffs was collected by CBI team for scrutiny & their office drawer were also checked. Thereafter, their mobile phones were scrutinized by the CBI team members with assistance of the Officers of Vigilance Section, Delhi and official of RPO Mumbai in presence of independent witnesses as well as in presence of respective mobile phone owners.
The FIRs stated that scrutiny of account of the accused officials revealed that they received undue advantage in their account from many agents.
The investigation by the CBI has uncovered a widespread network of corruption involving passport officials and private individuals. The accused officials were found to be demanding and accepting bribes through passport facilitation agents in exchange for issuing passports, even those based on fake or forged documents.
Two days before the search, the CBI, along with Regional Passport Officer (RPO-Mumbai) Dr Rajesh Gawande’s team and vigilance department of Passport Seva Programme (PSP) Division, Ministry of External Affair had jointly checked the suspected officials at the two passport seva kendra on Wednesday and while examining mobile phones found UPI payment transactions of those officials with touts.
CBI said that the suspected officials were demanding and accepting undue advantage through the passport facilitation agents for issuance of passports as well as to get passports issued based on inadequate/fake/forged documents. During the joint check, the team found that in connivance with various passport facilitation agents / touts, the accused passport officials were receiving huge money directly in their own bank accounts or in the bank accounts of their family members from the passport facilitation agents / touts.
The CBI FIRs says that during the joint check, the mobile phones of the staffs was collected by CBI team for scrutiny & their office drawer were also checked. Thereafter, their mobile phones were scrutinized by the CBI team members with assistance of the Officers of Vigilance Section, Delhi and official of RPO Mumbai in presence of independent witnesses as well as in presence of respective mobile phone owners.
The FIRs stated that scrutiny of account of the accused officials revealed that they received undue advantage in their account from many agents.
The investigation by the CBI has uncovered a widespread network of corruption involving passport officials and private individuals. The accused officials were found to be demanding and accepting bribes through passport facilitation agents in exchange for issuing passports, even those based on fake or forged documents.
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