Trader cocks snook at DRI, evades duty

Pradeep Thakur / TNN / Mar 27, 2006, 00:26 IST

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A west Delhi-based businessman has been giving regular slips to the DRI which has booked him in a case of duty evasion of about Rs 100 cr.

NEW DELHI: Flaunting his high-level contacts, a west Delhi-based businessman has been giving regular slips to the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) which has booked him in a case of duty evasion of about Rs 100 crore.
The businessman, allegedly charged with smuggling of computer printed circuit boards (PCBs) worth over Rs 500 crore, was booked by DRI in September last year.
The agency had even arrested his son who later jumped bail and is absconding with his father and another brother, also an accused in the case.
Sources said that to divert attention from the case, the accused had allegedly managed a raid on the investigating officers of DRI on the allegation of bribery. The corruption case against DRI officials, however, soon fell through as CBI could not substantiate the allegation.

Later, CBI also removed an SP-level officer from the bribery case for his alleged collusion with the accused businessman.
It is believed that the accused has wide contacts in CBI and among politicians and the police.
The businessman's political connections came to light when a prominent Delhi politician wrote a "good character"certificate for him and requested the Central Economic Intelligence Bureau (CEIB), the issuing agency for Cofeposa notices, not to serve the accused notices under the Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities (Cofeposa) Act.

The Delhi Police has failed to arrest the accused for the last six months though they have been spotted several times at the residence of the same Delhi politician who wrote a letter to CEIB for their release, sources said.
Earlier this month, CEIB issued Cofeposa notices against the accused businessman and two of his sons and directed the Delhi Police to arrest them within seven days to prevent them from indulging in smuggling activities.
Once detained under Cofeposa, the accused will be put behind bars for a minimum of one year. Sources said the accused had been smuggling goods from Singapore and Hong Kong and when DRI had raided his house on September 8, the agency seized illegal electronic components worth Rs 1.5 crore.
Investigations later revealed that the accused was detained on two earlier occasions under Cofeposa in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
The accused had also registered two "manufacturing units"at the Noida Special Economic Zone for the manufacture of finished computer parts, meant only for exports. However, that was used as a front to smuggle imported PCBs.

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