CBI Court in Visakhapatnam Jails Ex-Customs Inspector, Associate for Rs 32.28 Crore Duty Fraud

The ruling concludes a two-decade probe into forged trade privileges, deemed-export clearances, evasion of Rs 32.28 crore in duties.

Overview

A special CBI court convicted former Central Excise and Customs inspector Kalaka Ramdas and private individual Polaki Janakiram, sentencing each to five years in prison.
The court also convicted Sri Balaji General Trading Company and imposed total fines of Rs 5.53 lakh on the convicts.
CBI investigators found that Janakiram impersonated Palla Kesava Rao to form SBGTC, obtain VSEZ licences and an import-export code, and secure warehousing status with forged documents.
Duty-free materials were procured and cleared as deemed exports to Mumbai firms against Advance Release Orders in violation of EXIM policy, in conspiracy with Ramdas, leading to a Rs 32.28 crore duty shortfall.
Following the judgment, Ramdas and Janakiram were sent to Central Prison, Visakhapatnam, in a case registered in 2005 with a charge-sheet filed in 2008.