CBI Arrests Four in Bribery Scandal Involving CSIR-NEIST Official and Scientist

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested four individuals, including a principal scientist and an official from CSIR-NEIST, for allegedly taking a bribe of Rs 8 lakh to pass an equipment purchase contract. The CBI also conducted searches at 18 locations across five states.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested four individuals, including an official and a principal scientist of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-North East Institute of Science and Technology (CSIR-NEIST), Jorhat, for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 8 lakh to facilitate an equipment purchase contract, officials announced on Saturday.

The arrested individuals include Praveer Mohan Verma, Controller of Stores and Purchase, and Principal Scientist Prasenjit Manna. They allegedly accepted the bribe from Kangkan Kashyap of KXK Technologies Pvt. Ltd and his brother Angkan Borpujari. The CBI claims the bribe was intended to favor the company and secure a bill for supplying a spectrophotometer and associated software.

The CBI laid a trap and arrested Manna, Verma, and Borpujari in Jorhat on Friday, and Kashyap from Guwahati on Saturday. The law enforcement agency also conducted searches at 18 locations across Assam, Jharkhand, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Delhi. Further allegations involve five CSIR officials favoring different companies in purchase contracts. Among others named in the FIR are Abhay Sakhare, Finance and Accounts Officer, Jatin Kalita, Senior Principal Scientist, and Rama Shankar Sharma, the then controller of finance and accounts at CSIR-NEIST.

(With inputs from agencies.)