Did CBI Arrest Two Northern Railway Officials for Bribery?
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
Lucknow, January 28 (NationPress) - The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has taken into custody two officials from Northern Railway, Lucknow, for allegedly receiving a bribe in connection with a pension claim processing, according to an official announcement made on Wednesday.
The individuals apprehended are Akash Tyagi, an Accountant in the Office of the Divisional Railway Manager (DRM), and Akshay Srivastava, Assistant Divisional Finance Manager (ADFM) at DRM, Lucknow. Both officials were caught in the act while accepting a bribe amounting to Rs 70,000 from a complainant on Tuesday, as per the statement.
The CBI reported that a case was filed on Tuesday against these officials and unknown accomplices following a complaint. The complainant alleged that for processing his aunt's pension, the accused demanded Rs 1,00,000 after the Pension Payment Order (PPO) was generated, along with an additional Rs 2,50,000 upon finalizing the claim amount.
Promptly, the CBI set a trap and intercepted the officials while they were accepting the part-payment of Rs 70,000.
The CBI has confirmed the arrests of both officials, who will be presented before the appropriate court in Lucknow. The agency noted that further investigations are ongoing to uncover any additional individuals involved in this bribery case.
This incident underscores persistent issues regarding corruption in public service sectors, particularly in pension claim processing, which directly impacts retired personnel.
Recently, the CBI arrested a Sales Officer from Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) in Chandrapur, Maharashtra, for allegedly soliciting and accepting a bribe of Rs 1 lakh related to the transfer of an HPCL retail outlet.
Earlier, two public servants from the Revenue Department in Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir were arrested on January 16 for reportedly accepting a bribe of Rs 15,000 from a complainant.
The CBI remains vigilant in tackling bribery, leading to the conviction of both public servants and private individuals, with outcomes including imprisonment and significant fines.