Commerce ministry official held for graft

Director charged with accepting undue favours from various companies

The probe agency had on August 19 registered three cases against Jain, officials of three private companies and a tout under various sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act , 1988, and the Indian Penal Code. Jain, arrested on Monday, was produced before the court on Tuesday.

The CBI also carried out searches at 15 places, including the residence and office premises of Jain, an Indian Costs and Accounts Service officer.

Searches conducted

Searches were conducted at Delhi, Noida, Mumbai and Jharkhand which include the residential and official premises of accused persons and companies. The searches yielded incrementing documents, Rs 7.25 lakh cash, documents relating to several bank accounts, bank lockers and investments in real-estate. A laptop has also been seized.

The Director (Anti-Dumping) was responsible for dealing with complaints regarding non-compliance of anti-dumping provisions against the delinquent companies.

The first case is related to Director (Anti-Dumping) in the Department of Commerce and
officials of Cheminova India Ltd. In this case, it was alleged that Jain was in league with the   company which was the beneficiary. The CBI alleged that while discharging his official duties, the director was seeking undue favours/illegal gratifications from the affected company. According to sources, the CBI registered a case and thereafter searches were conducted.

In the second case, cost accountant of Demaco Polymers Limited, Delhi, and Jain have been named.

The third case was registered against Jain, a tout, director of  Shivam Iron & Steel Company (SISCO), Giridih, Jharkhand, and the company itself.

According to the CBI, the tout in this case mediated between buyer and seller (representative of the Laxhmi Spark Udhoyg Limited, Hazaribag and SISCO, Giridih) for ensuring supply of coal as part of the deal.

Jain allegedly sought gratifications and undue favour for getting coal linkage for SISCO, Giridih, Jharkhand, from the ministry of coal “by abusing his official position and using his personal contacts with the officials in the coal ministry.”