Ahmedabad: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has booked a deputy director of the Export Inspection Agency (EIA) in Vadodara, along with consultants and private individuals, for allegedly operating a bribery racket linked to the issuance of certificates of origin and other export-related clearances, a report said.

According to the FIR, the accused allegedly created a network to collect bribes from export consultants in exchange for issuing certificates of origin and other export-related approvals. The CBI claims the illegal payments were routed through multiple bank accounts, with several transfers to the officer’s account coinciding with the due dates of his loan instalments. The agency is also investigating whether export certificates were issued without proper verification.

The case, registered in the first week of June, names Prakash Badiger, Deputy Director (Technical) at the EIA’s Vadodara sub-office, Mitul Naresh Jani, proprietor of Rudra Exim World, consultant Mehul Shah, several other consultants and private individuals, as well as unidentified EIA officials.

According to the CBI, the bribe money was initially deposited into bank accounts operated by Mitul Jani before being transferred to Badiger and members of his family. Bank records allegedly show that transfers to Badiger’s SBI account frequently matched the due dates of his loan EMIs.

The agency alleges that between August 2024 and February 2025, Badiger received Rs 4.07 lakh through Jani, while more than Rs 2 lakh was transferred to bank accounts held by his wife and children. The FIR further alleges that an additional Rs 5.38 lakh was routed to Badiger through the same channel between August 2024 and April 2025.

According to the agency, sanction under the Prevention of Corruption Act was obtained from the competent authority before registering the case. The FIR includes charges of criminal conspiracy along with multiple provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act. DeshGujarat