In a significant crackdown on corruption, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has apprehended a senior official from the Central Power Research Institute (CPRI) in Bengaluru along with a private company executive. The arrests were made on Friday following allegations of a bribe transaction amounting to Rs 9.5 lakh.
The Trap and Immediate Arrests
The operation was set into motion after the CBI registered a First Information Report (FIR) on January 8. The FIR was filed against the CPRI official, identified as a joint director, and others. They were accused of accepting bribes in return for providing favourable test reports to the Sudhir Group of Companies. Acting on this information, the federal agency laid a trap which led to the capture of the public servant and the private firm's executive red-handed.
Staggering Cash and Foreign Currency Haul
Subsequent searches conducted at the residence of the accused government officer yielded astonishing results. The CBI recovered a massive sum of Rs 3.6 crore in cash. Beyond the Indian currency, the raid also unearthed a substantial stash of foreign money. The seized foreign currency included US dollars, Hong Kong dollars, Singapore dollars, Indonesian Rupiah, Malaysian Ringgit, Swedish Krona, and UAE Dirhams. The total value of this foreign exchange is estimated to be around Rs 4 lakh.
Seizure of Jewellery and Ongoing Probe
In addition to the monetary haul, the investigative agency confiscated various pieces of jewellery and other valuable articles from the premises. The discovery of such a large amount of cash and assets has raised serious questions and widened the scope of the investigation. The CBI is now delving deeper into the alleged nexus between the public servant and the private company, examining the extent of the misconduct and whether more individuals are involved in this corruption scandal.
The case highlights the ongoing vigilance of central agencies against graft within government departments and public sector units. The CPRI, a premier institute for power sector research, is now under scrutiny as the probe seeks to determine the full impact of the alleged corrupt practices on the integrity of its test reports and certifications.
