CBI books Delhi forest official, aide for taking bribe to ‘protect’ temple from demolition

New Delhi, July 20 A Delhi government Deputy Forest Officer and a Forest Guard were booked by the CBI for demanding and taking Rs 95,000 bribe from a temple priest in exchange for shielding the premises from demolition in the Old Rajinder Nagar area of the Ridge.

Rajesh Tandon, Deputy Forest Officer, and Ajay, Forest Guard, were named in an FIR by the federal agency on the complaint of Priest Lalit Narayan Jha, whose temple is situated on Sir Gangaram Hospital Road.

In the FIR registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday, the two forest department employees were slapped with charges related to criminal conspiracy and demand of undue advantage by public servant.

In his complaint dated July 16, Lalit Narayan said that around 4-5 days ago, the Deputy Forest Officer (DFO) told him that his temple was built on forest land and a complaint for its demolition had been received.

Tandon demanded Rs 1 lakh bribe for not demolishing the temple and took Rs 30,000 from him on the same day, the complaint said.

The priest said the DFO came again the next day and took another Rs 10,000 bribe.

The complaint said that on July 15, a person who identified himself as Forest Guard Ajay had taken a bribe of Rs 55,000 and told the complainant to talk to Tandon for saving the temple structure from impending demolition.

The priest said Tandon again met him and demanded Rs 60,000 bribe.

As the complainant did not want to pay the bribe, he lodged the complaint on July 16, seeking action against DFO Rajesh Tandon and Forest Guard Ajay.

A verification report prepared by the CBI before filing the FIR said, “Verification prima facie revealed that Rajesh Tandon, DFO, has accepted undue advantage of Rs 40,000 from the complainant and now demanded illegal gratification/undue advantage of Rs 50,000 from the complainant Lalit Narayan Jha in lieu of not demolishing the temple.”

The report said, “It is also revealed from verification that Ajay, Forest Guard, has also accepted undue advantage of Rs 55,000 from the complainant. Therefore, it is recommended to register a regular case against Rajesh Tandon, DFO, and Ajay, Forest Guard, both of GNCT of Delhi, under sections 61 (2) of BNS-2023 (criminal conspiracy) read with section 7of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.”

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