The accused named in the FIR have been identified as BN Ramesh, Joint Director General of Foreign Trade at the Regional Authority, Director General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) in Visakhapatnam; Sreebhashyam Venkata Ranganathan, Section Head at JDGFT; Penmatsa Sitarama Raju, Managing Director, Kireeti Indenting & Exim Services Pvt. Ltd. in Hyderabad; and unknown people.
In the FIR, it has been alleged that the office of the Regional Authority, DGFT, in Visakhapatnam, is functioning to promote exports and imports and to help in developing trading relations with various other nations. DGFT is issuing various licences, viz. Import Export Certificate, Export Promotion of Capital Goods (EPCG), Export Obligation Discharge Certificate (EODC) etc., to various firms in India. CBI received reliable information that B. N. Ramesh, Joint Director General of Foreign Trade and Sreebhashyam Venkata Ranganathan, Section Head of office of JDGFT are demanding and collecting huge amounts of bribes from the Consultants of DGFT for issuing new Import Export Certificates as well as for its renewals and other related licences through consultants/conduits.
On August 3, Sita Rama Raju, Managing Director, Kireeti Indenting and Exim Services Pvt. Ltd, Hyderabad informed Sreebhashyam Venkata Ranganathan, Section Head that 18 files pertaining to M/s. Pattabhi Agro Foods Private Limited were cleared, and seven more files are pending in JDGFT Office, Visakhapatnam P. Sita Rama Raju further informed Sreebhashyam Venkata Ranganathan that he is coming to Visakhapatnam on September 5 to hand over the bribe. And on the said date, he collected the bribe of Rs four lakh for clearing the files pertaining to the client companies of Kireeti Indenting & Exim Services Pvt Ltd., Visakhapatnam including Jayaraj Fortune Packaging Pvt Ltd Guntur. Pattabhi Agro Foods Pvt. Ltd., Blue Sea Foods, Sailaja Agro Foods, etc
A case has been registered in the matter, said a senior CBI official. (ANI)
