Chennai: In a move that has ignited a firestorm on social media and drawn sharp criticism from prominent public figures, Tamil Nadu-based logistics firm Wintrack has ceased all its import-export activities in India, citing “relentless harassment” and bribery demands from Chennai Customs officials. The company’s dramatic shutdown, effective October 1, 2025, has put a harsh spotlight on allegations of systemic corruption affecting the ease of doing business in the country.
In a scathing post on the social media platform X, Wintrack alleged that its business has been “crippled and destroyed” as a direct retaliation for exposing bribery demands by officials earlier this year. “Corruption won this battle, they can destroy our business, not our voice,” the company stated starkly in its X bio.
The Chennai Customs Department has vehemently denied the allegations, issuing a detailed rebuttal and accusing the company of making false claims to evade scrutiny for regulatory violations.
Wintrack’s Explosive Allegations
Wintrack’s founder, Prawin Ganeshan, publicly named several officials from the Special Intelligence and Investigation Branch (SIIB) in his posts. He alleged that his wife’s company was forced to pay a ₹1.5 lakh bribe for a shipment, claiming that officials even offered a 10% “discount” during the illicit negotiations. The company maintains that the past 45 days of intense scrutiny were a direct consequence of their refusal to stay silent on corruption.
SIIB: ASHISH NEHRA VITAL
— Prawin Ganeshan (@PrawinGaneshan) October 1, 2025
EO: BANDI NARIAPPA
AO: GYANENDRA PANDEY
These officers recieved bribe to clear my Wife's company shipment last week
Faceless Assessment Officer at Mumbai Recieved 50,000
When we negotiated the bribe through our staff in person with SiiB officers & CHA… https://t.co/qUyTh4FJx4 pic.twitter.com/KzyMhbMuQB
Chennai Customs Hits Back
Refuting the claims, the Chennai Customs Department issued an official statement asserting that Wintrack was under investigation for multiple violations. These included misclassification of goods, failure to declare USB charging cables in a shipment, and a lack of mandatory Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) certification required under the Battery Waste Management Rules, 2022.
Customs officials stated that proper hearings were conducted and that no bribes were sought. “This importer has an established pattern of making unsubstantiated allegations of corruption and bribery on this platform, only to delete such posts once factual rebuttals are provided by this department,” the customs’ statement read.
Public Figures Weigh In
The public dispute quickly escalated, drawing sharp responses from influential figures. Congress MP Shashi Tharoor reposted Wintrack’s announcement, calling the situation “truly dismaying.”
“Corruption remains rampant across the system and most companies simply comply as part of the “price of doing business”. It doesn’t have to be this way,” Tharoor wrote on X.
Mohandas Pai, former CFO of Infosys and a vocal advocate for corporate governance, tagged Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his post. “You have failed to stamp out systemic corruption in our ports. Please act,” Pai urged. The high-profile interventions have transformed a business dispute into a national conversation about bureaucratic hurdles and corruption at India’s ports.
