The Kochi unit of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) registered cases against seven persons, including three Customs officials, on charges of corruption in connection with the foiled gold smuggling attempt at the Cochin International Airport.
Two women were arrested on Thursday last while attempting to smuggling 20 kg of gold and investigations by the Customs department led to the detaining of Fayaz T.K. at New Delhi airport, while attempting to leave the country, and he was arrested on Monday.
The CBI started verifying the media reports that Fayaz had connections with top Customs and police officials. It is learnt that C. Madhavan, Deputy Customs Commissioner, CIAL, was among the three officials against whom cases were registered on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Fayaz has accused Customs officials of torturing him in custody. He gave the complaint in writing before the Ernakulam Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Court (Economic Offences) along with his plea for bail.
According to the complaint, a senior Customs official hit him on the face, and once with a pipe. The complaint said the Customs officers applied ice to remove the swelling he suffered on his head from the torture. Fayaz also accused the officials of trying to foist a fake case against him. Fayaz said in his request for bail that he had no link with the crime and that he was deliberately being trapped in the case.
