Bengaluru, Jan 9 The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested a Joint Director of the Central Power Research Institute (CPRI), Bengaluru, in a bribery case involving Rs 9.5 lakh, an official statement issued by the agency said on Friday.
The arrest followed the registration of an FIR on January 8 against the senior CPRI official and other private individuals on charges of collusive corruption. According to the CBI, the accused were allegedly involved in demanding and accepting bribes for issuing favourable test reports for electrical equipment manufactured by a private firm, M/s Sudhir Group of Companies.
After registering the case, the CBI laid a trap and caught the Joint Director along with an executive of the private company red-handed while allegedly transacting the bribe amount of Rs 9.5 lakh on January 9 in Bengaluru.
Subsequent searches conducted at the residence of the public servant led to the recovery of a substantial amount of suspected unaccounted wealth. The CBI seized cash amounting to Rs 3.59 crore, along with foreign currency in multiple denominations, including US Dollars, Hong Kong Dollars, Singapore Dollars, Indonesian Rupiah, Malaysian Ringgit, Euros, Chinese Yuan (Renminbi), Swedish Krona and UAE Dirhams. The foreign currency seized is estimated to be worth approximately Rs 4.05 lakh.
In addition to the cash and foreign currency, officials also recovered jewellery and other incriminating documents and articles during the searches. The total recovery so far stands at approximately Rs 3.76 crore, including the foreign currency, the agency said.
CBI officials stated that search operations are still under way and further recoveries cannot be ruled out. The investigation into the case is continuing to ascertain the full extent of the alleged corruption and the role of other individuals involved.
The Central Power Research Institute is a premier institution under the Union Ministry of Power and is involved in the testing and certification of electrical equipment used across the country.
More details are awaited.
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