CBI BUSTS A MAJOR PASSPORT RACKET;  ARRESTS A SENIOR SUPERINTENDENT OF  PASSPORT SEVA LAGHU KENDRA & A PRIVATE PERSON ON ALLEGATIONS OF BRIBERY AND CONDUCTS SEARCHES AROUND 50 LOCATIONS IN WEST BENGAL & SIKKIM

The Central Bureau of Investigation has busted  a major passport racket in West Bengal & Sikkim and  arrested a Senior Superintendent of Passport Seva Laghu Kendra(PSLK), Gangtok (Sikkim) & a private person in an alleged bribery of Rs.1.90 Lakh.

A case was registered against 24 accused including 
Deputy Passport Officer (DPO), Kolkata ; Senior Superintendent, PSLK, Gangtok(Sikkim); other public servants, private persons etc. It was alleged that public servants of Regional Passport Office (RPO) Kolkata & Passport Seva Laghu Kendra (PSLK) Gangtok entered criminal conspiracy with others including passport agents, middlemen and in pursuance of said  conspiracy, the accused  were issuing passports on the basis of false & forged identity documents submitted by middlemen on behalf of those persons/applicants who are non-residents of India in lieu of  illegal gratification.

CBI recovered Rs. 1.90 Lakh from Senior Superintendent, PSLK Gangtok while accepting  the same from a Private Person(an agent) at Siliguri. Both the accused were apprehended.

During search, an amount of Rs. 3.08 Lakh(approx) was also recovered from the  possession of said public servant. 

As part the crackdown on the racket, searches were  conducted at around 50 places including at Kolkata, Gangtok, Siliguri, Darjeeling, Alipur Dwar, etc. at the premises of accused including public servants & others which led to recovery of  large number of incriminating documents related to identity proofs, issuance of forged passports.

The arrested accused will be produced before the Competent Court.