Visakhapatnam, November 7, 2026: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested Sudhakara T.M., Assistant Director and In-charge of the Plant Quarantine Station (PQS), Visakhapatnam, along with private person Sunkavalli Satyanarayana, in a bribery case involving the clearance of import containers.
According to the CBI, a case was registered on November 6, 2026, against two officials of the Plant Quarantine Station, Visakhapatnam (including the Assistant Director), three private persons, and other unidentified individuals for alleged demand and acceptance of undue advantage. It was alleged that the accused Assistant Director demanded an undue advantage of ₹1 lakh from a private firm in exchange for clearing certain containers awaiting approval from the quarantine station.
Acting on the complaint, the CBI laid a trap on Friday, November 6. During the operation, Sudhakara T.M. was caught red-handed while accepting the bribe amount of ₹1 lakh through the private person Sunkavalli Satyanarayana, who allegedly acted as an intermediary. The entire bribe money was recovered during the trap proceedings. Both the Assistant Director and the middleman were subsequently arrested.
Searches were conducted at the premises of the accused persons in Visakhapatnam, Faridabad, and Thimanapalli village in Kolar district, Karnataka. Both arrested individuals were produced before a competent court in Visakhapatnam. The investigation into the roles of other named accused persons is continuing.
The Plant Quarantine Station operates under the Directorate of Plant Protection, Quarantine and Storage, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, and is responsible for phytosanitary clearances and inspections related to import and export of agricultural commodities. The CBI has not released further details on the specific firm involved or additional recoveries from the searches.
