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Mumbai News: CBI Books Plant Quarantine Officials For Taking Bribes From Importers And CHAs In Exchange For Clearance Work

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Mumbai: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has launched an investigation against two officials, including a deputy director rank official posted at plant quarantine office Mumbai which operates under the Directorate of Plant Protection, Quarantine & Storage (PPQS) following the allegations that they indulged into corrupt practices by taking undue advantage from the importer, exporter either directly or through Clearing House Agents (CHAs) in lieu of performing work. Plant quarantine office deals with import and export of plant and plant based material.

Officials Allegedly Took Bribes Through CHAs for Expedited Clearances and Fake Certificates

According to the CBI, a reliable source information was received that some public servants posted at plant quarantine office were indulged into corrupt practices by taking undue advantage from the importer/ exporter either directly or through CHAs in lieu of performing works such as expedite clearance payment, selective inspection practices, treatment requirement manipulation, issuance of certificate without proper inspection.

“It was further learnt from reliable sources that this collusive corruption is being run in connivance with CHAs at the said office. It was also learnt that the some customs clearing agents are sometimes facilitating illegal imports or avoid proper inspection procedures in exchange of regular payment of undue advantage to the officers posted at plant quarantine office and the officers posted there are demanding and accepting around Rs 600 per documents, consignment from the parties or their CHAs,” said a CBI official.

“In order to verify the said allegations, a joint surprise check (JSC) team of CBI Officers, officers from vigilance of the department of agriculture and farmers welfare on 16.07.2025 conducted checks. During JSC, public dealing counters situated in the said office were checked. The bag and wallets of the staff available were also checked and it was found that a cash amount of Rs 49,750 was found in their possession and they were asked to explain the cash amount. It has transpired that the unaccounted money in cash has been accepted by the accused public servants as an undue advantage from CHAs for doing their routine official work,” said the official.

Case Registered Under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Prevention of Corruption Act

The CBI has registered a case on charges of criminal conspiracy, bribing of public servant and Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Prevention of Corruption Act.

Maharashtra

Maharashtra: Abu Asim Azmi presents bill in the House against religious hatred and blasphemy, application of MCOCA and UAPA also included in the draft bill

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Mumbai: Nagpur Samajwadi Party leader and MLA Abu Asim Azmi presented a private bill in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly against those who spread blasphemy and religious hatred. The bill demands action against hate elements and calls for action under MCOCA and UAPA against those who spread religious hatred, in addition to ten years of imprisonment and a bail of Rs 2 lakh so that sectarians do not get bail and such cases of spreading religious hatred are banned. He told the House that there has been an increase in cases of blasphemy in the country and in such a situation, tension arises in the country. Action should be taken against such elements to maintain law and order. This will be possible only when action is taken against such sectarians who promote a hate agenda under the guise of freedom of expression. He said that the Supreme Court had also issued an order for strict action against hate elements and miscreants and has banned inflammatory and hate speech. In such a situation, Maharashtra The bill has been formally introduced in the House to take action against those who spread religious hatred and incite hatred against important people. The draft bill proposes to register a case against communalists under the section of the MCOCA UAPA, which carries a maximum sentence of ten years, so that such elements cannot be granted bail.

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Maharashtra

Mumbai fuel theft gang busted, 13 accused arreste, The gang of thieves had attempted to steal fuel in November

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Mumbai: Police claims to have busted a petrol theft gang. The accused were arrested for attempting to steal petrol from BPCL company on November 14 at around 3:30 am under the limits of RCF police station in Mumbai. A complaint was registered for attempting to steal fuel from the underground 18-inch Mumbai Manmade Multi-Product pipeline on Mumbai Gadkari Road. Vinod Devchand Pandit was arrested from Chembur on November 17 on the basis of technical investigation and information from an informant. His investigation revealed that the mastermind of this racket, Riaz Ahmed Ayub (59), Salim Mohammad Ali, Vinod Devchand Pandit had hatched a plan to steal fuel. 13 accused including Gopal Narayan, Mohammad Irfan, Vinay Shashikant, Ahmed Khan Juman Khan, Nishan Jagdish, Mustafa Manzoor, Nasir Shaukat, Imtiaz Asif have been arrested. All these accused have been arrested from various areas. Their arrests were made from Mumbai, Navi Mumbai and surrounding areas. This operation was carried out by Additional Commissioner Mahesh Patil and DCP Sameer Sheikh on the instructions of Mumbai Police Commissioner Deven Bharti.

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Maharashtra

Vasai-Virar Faces 50,000 Duplicate Entries In Voter Roll; Voters Asked To Choose Single Booth

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Virar: More than 50,000 duplicate voters have been found in the Vasai-Virar city area. The Municipal Corporation has published a list of these voters on its website. The Corporation has appealed to those whose names appear in duplicate to visit and vote at any one polling center of their choice and inform the Corporation of their decision in advance.

More than 50,000 duplicate voters were found in the draft voter lists published by the Vasai-Virar Municipal Corporation. This large number of duplicate entries has created a major conundrum. To resolve this issue, the Election Commission has allowed voters with duplicate names to cast their vote at any single designated polling center.

Accordingly, the Vasai-Virar Municipal Corporation has published the list of 50,000 duplicate voters on the municipal website. Municipal Commissioner Manoj Kumar Suryawanshi has appealed to these voters to check their names, select one polling center, and vote there.

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