Set to face action in connection with a Rs. 26-crore customs evasion scam.
(PHOTO: Facebook)
The inspiration behind Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Bollywood hit ‘Chak De India’, former goalkeeper of the Indian hockey team Mir Ranjan Negi, may be suspended by the customs department over alleged corruption charges.
Negi is currently employed with the customs department as an assistant commissioner at Mumbai.
Negi shot to fame in 1998 when the Indian women’s hockey team won gold medal at Bangkok Asian Games. He was the goalkeeping coach of the team. In 2002, the women’s team won the Commonwealth Games gold medal.
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As per reports, Negi’s suspension has reportedly been ordered by the Chief Commissioner of Customs Devendra Singh after a Rs. 26-crore customs evasion came to fore at Sahar air cargo complex, Mumbai.
The customs evasion involved ‘smuggling of mobile phones and accessories’. A separate case related to the seizure of 200 blank guns declared as toy guns also went against Negi.
The Customs’ central intelligence unit in May had found that importers were smuggling mobile phones and accessories by evading customs duty as the officials concerned for reasons known to them were not using the electronic facilitation mode to clear the goods. Instead, the goods were physically assessed and examined.
Mir Ranjan Negi was in-charge of examination of goods and the examiners and appraisers were directly reporting to him. After the preliminary probe, the directorate of vigilance for supervisory failure ordered the transfer of Negi.
Later, the chief commissioner of Customs wrote to the Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) to suspend Negi.
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