CBI Investigates Corruption at Mumbai Passport Offices

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered cases against several officials, including Passport Assistants at Passport Sewa Kendras (PSKs) in Lower Parel and Malad, Mumbai, for engaging in corrupt activities with passport facilitation agents.

Details of the Investigation

The CBI has filed 12 cases against 14 officials and 18 passport agents. These officials, working under the Regional Passport Office (RPO) Mumbai, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), allegedly conspired with agents to gain undue advantages by issuing passports based on incomplete or fake documents.

Joint Surprise Checks

On June 26, Joint Surprise Checks (JSC) were conducted at PSKs in Parel and Malad. The CBI, along with Vigilance Officers from the Passport Seva Programme (PSP) Division, MEA, and RPO Mumbai, analyzed the office desks and mobile phones of the suspect officers. They found suspicious transactions indicating corruption.

Findings

The analysis of documents, social media chats, and Unified Payments Interface (UPI) ID activities revealed that some officials were receiving large sums of money directly into their bank accounts or those of their family members from passport agents. The CBI conducted searches at 33 locations in Mumbai and Nashik, recovering incriminating documents and digital evidence.

The investigation is ongoing.