CBI arrests 2 NHAI officials in bribery case; Rs 1.1 crore cash recovered
Mar 04, 2024
New Delhi [India], March 4 : The CBI has arrested six people, including two officers of the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) along with two directors of a private company, in a case related to alleged bribery of Rs 20 lakh, said officials.
Searches are being conducted at different offices and residences of the accused, including Nagpur, Bhopal, and Harda. Cash of Rs 1.10 (approximately), including the trap money, has been recovered/seized so far, along with other incriminating documents, digital devices, etc., during searches, said the CBI in a statement on Sunday.
The arrested officials were identified as Arvind Kale, General Manager and Project Director at NHAI, and Brijesh Sahu, a deputy GM with the authority in Harda, Madhya Pradesh.
"CBI registered a case against four public servants of NHAI, a Bhopal-based private company, five private persons, including two directors and employees of the said private company, and unknown others, on allegations that directors of a Bhopal-based private company have been delivering bribes to various public servants of NHAI through their employees in lieu of issuance of completion certificates, processing of bills, smooth progression of awarded works, etc., in various road projects awarded by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI)," said CBI in a press release.
It was further alleged that an employee of said company is in regular contact with General Manager & Project Director, NHAI, Project Implementation Unit (PIU), Nagpur, for clearing pending matters, including the processing of pending bills and the issuance of a completion certificate, in lieu of a bribe, for Project Outer Ring Road.
It was also alleged that employees of the private company deliver bribes to public servants in Nagpur and in different locations in Madhya Pradesh.
Further, it was alleged that a bribe amount of Rs 25 lakh was likely to be delivered to said General Manager & Project Director, NHAI, PIU, Nagpur.
The CBI laid a trap, and after the delivery of a bribe of Rs 20 lakh to the general & project manager of NHAI by an employee of the said private company, they were apprehended.
