CBI books its own ASI for corruption

The accused dispatch officer, S P Sethy, was collecting bribes from different transporters and coal lifters by misusing his official position showing them favour by way of either dispatch of extra load of coal or in providing them high-grade coal by passing it off as low-grade, the CBI has alleged in its FIR.

The CBI has booked its own assistant sub-inspector for collecting protection money in lakhs from a dispatch officer posted at Garjanbhal Mines of Mahanadi Coalfields Limited, officials said Friday. The accused dispatch officer, S P Sethy, was collecting bribes from different transporters and coal lifters by misusing his official position showing them favour by way of either dispatch of extra load of coal or in providing them high-grade coal by passing it off as low-grade, the CBI has alleged in its FIR. In return these transporters were making regular payments to Sethy who was running the racket by paying protection money to ASI Prashanta Kumar Pallei, it alleged. The bribes to the CBI officer protected him from the clutches of the central probe agency as well as to get other favours such as favourable posting, the FIR alleged. The agency mentioned a long of list of alleged corrupt actions on behalf of the duo, including the regular bribe payments ranging from a few thousands to lakhs of rupees in different tranches during last year, it alleged.