CBI arrests six, including NHAI senior officer in bribery case

Mumbai: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Sunday made six arrests, including two senior officers of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), as part of an inter-state probe into an alleged bribery case.

The agency also recovered cash of ₹1.10 crore during its search operations conducted in Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh (MP) at the accused persons' official and residential premises, including the alleged bribe amount, agency sources said.

Among those arrested are Arvind Kale, general manager and project director (PIU) based in Nagpur, and Brijesh Kumar Sahu, deputy general manager and project director in Harda, MP. The CBI also arrested Anil Bansal and Kunal Bansal, directors of Bansal Construction Works Pvt. Ltd., and employees C Krishna and Chhater Singh Lodhi of the same firm. The agency had earlier registered a case against four public servants of the NHAI, a Bhopal-based private company, five private persons including two directors and employees of the said private company and unknown others, CBI sources said.

It was alleged that the firm's directors were delivering bribes to various public servants of NHAI through their employees in lieu of issuance of completion certificates, processing of bills, and smooth progression of awarded works, among others such favours or work, pertaining to various road projects awarded by the public-sector entity, NHAI, the sources said. "It was further alleged that an employee of the said company was in regular contact with the general manager and project director, NHAI, PIU, Nagpur, for clearing pending matters, including processing of pending bills and issuance of completion certificate, in lieu of bribe, for the Project Outer Ring Road. It was also alleged that the said employees of the private company deliver bribes to the public servants in Nagpur, and in different locations in Madhya Pradesh," a CBI source said.

"The CBI was also probing allegations that a bribe amount of ₹25 lakh was likely to be delivered to the said general manager and project director, NHAI, PIU, Nagpur, after which the agency laid a trap", the official said. "After the delivery of the bribe of ₹20 lakh to the said general and project manager of the NHAI by the employee of the said private company, the arrests were made," the official said.

The agency conducted searches at the official and residential premises of the accused persons including at Nagpur, Maharashtra, and Madhya Pradesh's Bhopal and Harda. Cash of ₹1.10 crore including the bribe money were recovered and seized by the agency so far in the case, along with other purported incriminating documents, and digital devices during the searches.

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