Mumbai: 2 former customs officials get three years in jail for taking bribe at airport

Two former customs officers in this city were given three years in prison for accepting a bribe from a filmmaker in order to grant a certificate of export for camera equipment in 2018. Vasudeo Ninave and Jagdish Mondkar, the accused, were held guilty under the Prevention of Corruption Act by special judge for CBI cases S H Gwalani on September 5.

On Thursday, the complete order was made available. At the time of the occurrence, Ninave and Mondkar were working as the customs supervisor and the hawaladar at terminal 2 of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in this city.

Omkar Raut, a photographer and cinematographer, approached the Anti-Corruption Bureau of the Central Bureau of Investigation alleging that the duo demanded Rs 5,000 from him and his friend Puneet Desai for issuing an export certificate for the camera equipment they were taking with them to Qatar. After a negotiation, Desai handed Rs 4,000 to Mondkar in the washroom of the airport’s departure lounge as per Ninave’s instructions under duress, the complainant alleged.