CBI arrests 5 over alleged bribery involving NHAI officer, contractors

PTI, Dec 31, 2021, 7:11 PM IST

The CBI has arrested five people, including a regional officer of NHAI and top executives of Bhopal-based construction company Dilip Buildcon, in connection with a Rs 20-lakh bribery case, officials said Friday.

Those arrested include National Highways Authority of India’s Regional Manager Akil Ahmad (posted at Bengaluru), Dilip Buildcon’s General Manager Retnakaran Sajilal, Executive Director Devendra Jain and Sunil Kumar Verma, an executive of the company.

Another individual Anuj Gupta was also arrested by the CBI. The CBI has alleged that Ahmad ”was in the habit of” demanding/accepting illegal gratification from NHAI contractors for clearing their pending bills and for issuing Provisional Commercial Operations Date (PCOD) for completed projects, the officials said.

”It was further alleged that the Regional Officer, NHAI, Bangalore demanded an illegal gratification from General Manager of said private company, site office, Bengaluru with respect to project under Bengaluru Chennai Expressway Package 1 & and 2 executed by said private company in Karnataka,” CBI Spokesperson RC Joshi said.

The CBI received an input that Rs 20 lakh bribe will be delivered to Anuj Gupta in Delhi for Ahmad following which a detailed plan to conduct the raid was prepared and teams were deputed at the site to monitor movements, the officials cited above said. ”The said private person and an official of said private company were caught. During trap proceedings, Rs 20 Lakh was recovered from the private person at New Delhi which was received on behalf of said Regional Officer, NHAI,” Joshi said.

Following the arrests, the CBI on Friday carried out searches at multiple locations in New Delhi, Bengaluru, Cochin, Gurgaon and Bhopal, they said. During the searches, the CBI has so far recovered Rs 4 crore in cash, they said.

The agency is also contemplating to rope in Income Tax Department in the case, they said. All the arrested accused, including the executive director and the general manager of Dilip Buildcon will be produced before competent courts, they said.