New Delhi, Jul 31 (PTI) The CBI carried out searches at the residence of the additional director general of shipping on Friday after booking him for allegedly receiving Rs 50,000 for delaying an ongoing case in the Gujarat High Court, officials said.

The case has been registered on a complaint from CBI police inspector R S Gosain against ADG Sandeep Awasthi and after a preliminary inquiry.

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It is alleged that Awasthi received Rs 50,000 from Prakash B Rajput "for being favourable to them in the High Court of Gujarat by means of not pressing the matter, taking adjournments and also delaying filing the counter affidavits of DG Shipping in Special Civil Application and other related matters".

Through the application, an order of the Directorate General of Shipping, was challenged in the high court by exporters Prakash B Rajput and Prashant Shukla.

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The agency had received source information that Awasthi had allegedly demanded Rs 6 lakh from them, with two individuals Adam Haroon Bhaya and Haresh Lalwani negotiating on behalf of him, following which it started surveillance on their activities.

It emerged that Awasthi was scheduled to meet them at Lalwani's residence in Khar, Mumbai, on March 15.

After two hours when they came out, the waiting CBI team accosted them for inquiry.

The agency alleged that it came out during the inquiry that Awasthi was in regular touch with Rajput, meeting regularly in Mumbai and Ahmedabad, and had received Rs 50,000 on March 5, according to the officials.

The agency has alleged that the amount was collected by signing receipt book of a company through which money was sent. PTI

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