Gujarat: Customs Official Sentenced to 5 Years RI in DA Case; ₹20 Lakh Fine Imposed

Ahmedabad: The Special Judge of CBI cases in Gujarat's Ahmedabad has sentenced Superintendent of Central Excise & Customs (Preventive Branch), Daman Commissionerate in Vapi, Valsad, to undergo five years rigorous imprisonment with a fine of Rs. 20 lakh in a disproportionate assets case. The court has also ordered the confiscation of the money and jewellery that were seized during the searches.

The accused, Shri Fauza Singh Pandher, was allegedly found in possession of disproportionate assets amounting to Rs. 13.59 lakh (DA % = 261%) during the check period from January 1, 2000 to May 03, 2005. The instant case was registered on June 30, 2005 based on a complaint against the accused.

After the investigation, a chargesheet was filed on August 31, 2006. The Trial Court found the accused guilty and convicted him.

In another case registered on May 03, 2005, CBI had apprehended Pandher, who was then serving as the Superintendent of Central Excise & Customs (Preventive Branch), while accepting a bribe of Rs. 30,000. Various documents regarding investments made by him in his name and his family members' names, as well as other assets, were discovered during searches following the trap. In this case, he was also convicted by the Competent Court in Ahmedabad and was sentenced to undergo 3 years of rigorous imprisonment with a fine of Rs. 5,000 on December 30, 2019.