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MEA official booked for human trafficking

New Delhi, March 29
The CBI today booked a senior External Affairs Ministry official, along with three others, for alleged human trafficking to Germany and conducted raids at their official and residential premises at six places here and in Punjab in this connection.

The CBI registered a case against Rakesh Kumar, Special Secretary (Economic Relations) in the MEA, for alleged trafficking of people to Germany when he was the Director-General of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), CBI sources said here today.

Besides Rakesh Kumar, Programme Officer Kehkeshan Tyagi and two others Har Gulab Singh and Shiv Kumar Sharma were also booked under Sections 120-B, 420, 403, 467, 468 and 471, of Indian Penal Code and 13(i)(d) of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The CBI FIR charged that Rakesh Kumar, during his tenure as Director-General of the ICCR, and Tyagi had entered into a criminal conspiracy with Har Gulab Singh and Shiv Kumar Sharma to facilitate illegal trafficking of nine individuals to Berlin.

The residence of Rakesh Kumar, who is at present touring Brazil, official and residential premises of Tyagi, houses of Shiv Kumar Sharma and Har Gulab Singh in Ludhiana and Chandigarh, respectively, were raided by the CBI. — PTI