Ghaziabad,

10 Dec (HS): The CBI has arrested Deepak Chandra, a senior passport

superintendent posted at the Regional Passport Office in Ghaziabad, from Mumbai

on charges of possessing assets disproportionate to his known sources of

income. The accused was produced before a CBI court in Ghaziabad on Tuesday,

where the court ordered him to be remanded to CBI custody for three days for

questioning. This action is part of a detailed investigation to reconcile his

income and assets from 2018 to 2024.

According

to the CBI, Deepak Chandra held various positions at the Ghaziabad Passport

Office since July 30, 2018. The investigation revealed that during this period,

he served as Passport Superintendent, Assistant Passport Superintendent, and

Senior Passport Superintendent. During this time, he is accused of acquiring

assets disproportionate to his income. According to the report, the

investigating agency has detected suspicious assets worth Rs. 1.43 crore, which

is disproportionate to his known sources of income.

Upon

receiving the complaint, the CBI launched a thorough investigation into the

matter. Raids were conducted at two locations in Ghaziabad and one in Patna.

During the raids, officials recovered approximately Rs. 60 lakh in cash,

documents related to bank accounts, land registries, mutual funds, insurance

policies, vehicle registration records, and several other important documents.

The team has seized all these documents and preserved them for further

investigation.

The

investigation also revealed that the accused's total legitimate income was only

Rs. 129,557, while he possessed assets worth Rs. 88.43 lakh, for which he could

not explain the proper and legitimate source. This significant discrepancy

between income and assets makes the case even more serious. During this period,

he was transferred from Ghaziabad to the Mumbai Passport Office, where the CBI

team arrested him. Following his arrest, the accused was produced before the

CBI court in Ghaziabad on Tuesday evening. The CBI requested remand for

questioning, which the court granted, granting him a three-day remand. CBI

officials say that during the remand period, they will determine the sources

from which such vast assets were amassed and the individuals involved. They

will also investigate whether other individuals are involved in this case. This

CBI action has created a stir in the Regional Passport Office and related

departments.

Hindusthan Samachar / Abhishek Awasthi