CBI Cracks Down on CPWD Bribery Scandal

The CBI arrested four individuals, including senior officers from CPWD, for a Rs 6 lakh bribe intended to expedite a contractor's bill clearance. The arrests followed intelligence of the bribe, uncovering widespread department corruption involving soliciting bribes for contract awards and invoice clearances.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has apprehended four individuals, including high-ranking officers of the Central Public Works Department (CPWD), in connection with a Rs 6 lakh bribery case aimed at hastening the clearance of a contractor's bill, official sources revealed on Tuesday.

The detentions occurred after a CBI raid on Monday, initiated from intelligence reports indicating that a contractor was preparing to hand over a Rs 6 lakh bribe to a senior officer at the CPWD's RK Puram office. This payment was reportedly a partial sum for clearing a substantial bill totalling Rs 1.52 crore. During the operation, four persons were detained, as confirmed by officials.

The CBI previously filed an FIR against a total of 12 individuals, encompassing four executive engineers, two assistant engineers, two junior engineers from CPWD, and several contractors and intermediaries. The case points to pervasive corruption, where the accused allegedly demanded bribes for approving public contracts, allowing the use of inferior construction materials, and clearing inflated invoices, ultimately resulting in losses to the government exchequer.

(With inputs from agencies.)