Court sends senior UIDIAI official to two days custody with Rajasthan ACB for questioning

UIDAI ADG Pankaj Goyal (43) was produced before a special judge of ACB at his residence on Wednesday evening after being arrested from his office in New Delhi on Tuesday, Kota ACB ASP Chandrasheel Thakur said. The ACB court special judge ordered Goyal to be sent to two days remand for interrogation, he added.

A special ACB court on Wednesday sent a 43-year-old assistant director general of UIDAI to two days in Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) custody for interrogation for allegedly taking Rs 1 lakh as bribe to issue Aadhaar franchise. The initial interrogation in the matter revealed a possible nexus between officials and touts with the Kota ACB officials having evidence against one such tout, identified as Hemraj Tanwar of Jaipur, while the role of other officials of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) and touts are being analysed.

The ACB also seized papers of properties, bank accounts and fixed deposits which are being examined. However, no considerable cash and jewellery was recovered from the accused man's residence during the search. UIDAI ADG Pankaj Goyal (43) was produced before a special judge of ACB at his residence on Wednesday evening after being arrested from his office in New Delhi on Tuesday, Kota ACB ASP Chandrasheel Thakur said.

The ACB court special judge ordered Goyal to be sent to two days remand for interrogation, he added. Goyal was in charge of five states, including Rajasthan, and was posted at the regional office of UIDAI in south Delhi's Pragati Vihar area.

A complainant, who is a local service provider in Ajmer and had applied for Aadhaar kiosk franchise, approached the Kota ACB a few months ago and lodged a complaint that the ADG of UIDAI in New Delhi was demanding Rs 15,000 on an application file for sanction of the franchise kiosk. He also alleged that the official had held back at least 14 such application files demanding a bribe of Rs 2 lakh, the ACB official said.

In the initial interrogation with Goyal, it has come to light that the tout Hemraj Tanwar was in connection with senior officers of the department in Delhi, ASP Thakur said. Further investigation into the matter is underway, he added..

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