In a significant development, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) made arrests on Monday in a bribery case involving an assistant director of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) stationed in Mumbai, along with the director of a private testing lab and two others. The alleged bribe amounted to ₹1.20 lakh, according to officials.
Amol Jagtap, Assistant Director at the FSSAI’s Regional Office in Mumbai, and Vikas Bhardwaj, Director of Reliable Analytical Laboratories Pvt. Ltd., along with Harshal Chougule, a senior manager at the company, and another company representative were arrested.
During the searches conducted at the accused’s residence, authorities seized ₹37.3 lakh in cash, approximately 45 grams of gold, as well as documents related to various immovable properties and other incriminating evidence, officials reported.
Jagtap stands accused of accepting the bribe to expedite pending bills for Thane-based Reliable Analytical Laboratories Pvt Ltd., which operates under FSSAI’s notification and is involved in analysing samples submitted by the authority.
The FSSAI, a statutory body under the Union Government, is responsible for overseeing the manufacturing, storage, distribution, sale, and import of food articles, as well as ensuring the quality standards of food products sold in the country.
In its statement, the CBI said, ‘It was also alleged that the accused Assistant Director, FSSAI, agreed to accept a bribe from the accused Senior Manager of the private company, who would deliver the bribe on behalf of the Director of the said Company in lieu of clearance of their pending bills.
This arrest underscores the ongoing efforts to combat corruption and uphold integrity within regulatory bodies, reaffirming the commitment to maintaining transparency and accountability in governance.
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