Khadki ammo co. official under scanner for graft

Mumbai: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has taken under its scanner an official of the Pune-based Ammunition Factory Khadki (AFK) for allegedly extending favours to a few private ammunition dealers in lieu of bribes worth Rs 32.67 lakh while working with the public sector entity’s marketing and export office between 2010 and 2016. AFK is a premier small arms manufacturing entity under the Department of Defence Production of the defence ministry.  

The officer, who is likely to be questioned soon by the agency, along with a few private dealers, had during 2010-2016 dealt with the sale of non-prohibited bore cartridges to private dealers, according to the source.

As per rules, AFK cartridges are sold to only such private dealers who possess a valid trade licence and are further registered with the public sector entity. The CBI is gathering details on specific instances of favours being extended by the then officer and the bank accounts controlled by him, in which the bribes were deposited, said a CBI source. The agency has registered a case to probe allegations related to criminal misconduct and corruption against the officer and other unknown persons.

The agency suspects that the favours were granted to certain private ammunition dealers in violation of a set of rules/norms governing business transactions between them and the AFK.

The officer is accused of allowing dealers to pay through a type of electronic payment mode, RTGS (Real Time Gross Settlement), instead of the stipulated demand drafts. To purchase ammunition from the AFK, registered private dealers have to place an order on the basis of which “advice notes” are issued by AFK to them.  On receipt of the advice notes, the dealers submit to the AFK the requisite demand drafts with other necessary documents within 75 days of the former’s issuance, the source said. If the demand draft and other necessary documents are not submitted within the stipulated timeframe, the order gets automatically cancelled, the source said.

Once the formalities are completed, the booked cartridges are to be picked up by the concerned dealer within a fortnight of the receipt of intimation from the AFK.  

The CBI is probing if the officer also re-issued such advice notes, in the face of non-compliance of stipulated terms by dealers, and if he had also provided cartridges despite the lapse of the dealers’ transport licences issued by Pune police.

The agency suspects an Ammunition Factory Khadki (AFK) officer, who worked with the public-sector entity during 2010-2016, allegedly received bribes worth Rs 32. 67 lakh in lieu of favours

It is suspected that the officer allowed private dealers to pay through an electronic payment mode, RTGS (Real Time Gross Settlement), instead of the stipulated demand drafts

It is suspected that the officer provided cartridges to dealers despite the lapse of the required transport licences.