In a major crackdown on corruption, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested seven individuals, including five public servants and two private persons, in connection with a bribery case involving the South Central Railway's Guntakal Division in Andhra Pradesh. The arrested public servants are the Divisional Railway Manager (DRM), the Senior Divisional Finance Manager (Sr. DFM), the former Senior Divisional Engineer (Sr. DEN) Coordination, an Office Superintendent, and an Account Assistant. The two private persons include a Director of a Bangalore-based firm and another individual.
The case revolves around allegations of bribery amounting to Rs 11 lakh in cash and jewellery, given and received for favoring certain railway tenders. The CBI registered a case against 13 accused, including the aforementioned five public servants, several representatives from various firms, and unknown public and private persons.
Details of the Case:
The accused contractors allegedly engaged in corrupt practices to secure undue benefits in tender awards, work execution, and expedited bill processing by paying hefty bribes to the public servants.
The DRM was accused of demanding illegal gratification at the rate of 0.5% of the total tender amount in the form of gold jewellery.
The former Sr. DEN Coordination allegedly demanded Rs 20 lakhs, planning to split Rs 10 lakhs each between the Sr. DFM and ADRM of Guntakal Division post the General Election.
The Director of a Bangalore-based company allegedly facilitated a bribe payment to the former Sr. DEN, who threatened to disrupt their work if the payment was not made.
The Account Assistant informed the Director about the urgent bribe request related to a tender for LC 125.
Trap and Arrest:
The CBI laid a trap and recovered Rs 10 lakhs delivered to the Sr. DFM, along with Rs 50,000 each to the Office Superintendent and another Account Assistant. During a search operation, jewellery taken as a bribe was recovered from the DRM's residence. The public servants who accepted bribes and the private individuals who delivered the bribes were apprehended.
Search Operations:
CBI conducted extensive searches in Guntakal, Ananatapur, Nellore, Tirupati, Hyderabad, Secunderabad, and Bangalore. These searches led to the recovery of several incriminating documents and digital devices, further solidifying the case against the accused.
The arrests and subsequent investigations underscore the CBI's commitment to rooting out corruption within public institutions, ensuring accountability and transparency in public service.
