VISAKHAPATNAM – The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) in Visakhapatnam, has registered a Regular Case against a senior official of the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) for his alleged involvement in a bribery and criminal conspiracy scandal .
The FIR, numbered RC0362026A0003, was filed on April 13, 2026, following a formal approval from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry to proceed against the official.
The Accused and Charges
The investigation focuses on Shri Sreebhashyam Venkata Ranganathan, who served as the Section Head at the Office of the Joint Director General of Foreign Trade in Visakhapatnam .
The CBI has invoked several legal provisions in the case:
- Section 120-B of the IPC: Criminal Conspiracy.
- Sections 7 and 8 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (as amended in 2018): Pertaining to illegal gratification and giving undue advantage to a public servant for improper performance of duty.
Nature of the Offence
The alleged offences reportedly took place between 2022 and 2023. Based on source information, the CBI’s probe indicates that Ranganathan was involved in “Trap Cases” involving illegal gratification and the solicitation of undue advantages in exchange for official favors within the DGFT.
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Government Sanction and Suspension
A critical development in the case was the granting of Previous Approval under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act. This approval was issued on April 2, 2026, by Lav Agarwal, the Director General of Foreign Trade and Ex-officio Additional Secretary to the Government of India.
In his order, the Director General noted that Ranganathan is currently under suspension until September 3, 2026. During this period, his headquarters has been shifted to the Office of the Development Commissioner at the Visakhapatnam Special Economic Zone (VSEZ).
Investigation Oversight
The CBI investigation was initiated following a request made by the agency on March 13, 2026. The case is being overseen by Murali Rambha, IPS, Deputy Inspector General of Police and Head of the Branch, CBI, Visakhapatnam.
