CBI Arrests Four in Rs 8 Lakh Bribery Case, Involving High-Level Public Officials and Private Sector

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested four people, including high-ranking public servants, in a bribery case worth Rs 8 lakh. Those involved allegedly accepted bribes to extend favors in contract procurement. Incriminating documents were found in multiple locations across various states during searches.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has apprehended four individuals, including two high-ranking public servants, in connection with an Rs 8 lakh bribery scandal, an official statement revealed Saturday. The First Information Report (FIR) claims that the accused public servants engaged in corrupt practices, gaining undue advantages from various private entities in exchange for procurement and contract favors.

The CBI registered a case on July 26 against five public servants. Among them are a Controller of Stores & Purchase (COSP) at CSIR-NEIST, Jorhat; a Principal Scientist at CID, CSIR-NEIST, Jorhat; a Finance and Accounts Officer (F&AO) at CSIR-NEIST, Jorhat; a former Controller of Finance and Accounts (CoFA) now working at CSIR-NIScPR in New Delhi; and a Senior Principal Scientist at CID, CSIR-NEIST, Jorhat. The case also involves a private company Director and a Jorhat resident.

Allegedly, the former CoFA solicited funds for equipment procurement totaling approximately Rs 7 crores, to be supplied by the Director's company. The COSP and F&AO discussed bribes of Rs 7 lakh and Rs 2 lakh, respectively, while the Senior Principal Scientist reportedly expected a bribe for future orders. The Director's brother was instructed to handle Rs 9 lakh, with Rs 8 lakh to be delivered as bribes. The CBI laid a trap, apprehending the COSP and Principal Scientist as they received bribes on July 24.

The bribery money was recovered, and the involved individuals were arrested in Jorhat on July 26. The private company Director was detained in Guwahati on July 27. Searches at 18 locations across Assam, Jharkhand, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Delhi yielded incriminating documents. All four accused are set to appear in court in Guwahati today.