Why Did the CBI Arrest Three Postal Department Officials in Meghalaya?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- CBI arrested three officials from the Postal Department in Meghalaya.
- Bribery amount involved was Rs 30,000.
- Rs 2.30 lakh was seized from the accused.
- The investigation was prompted by a complaint from a Gram Dak Sevak.
- Ongoing efforts aim to combat corruption within public services.
New Delhi/Shillong, Oct 7 (NationPress) The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has taken into custody three officials from the Postal Department, including an Assistant Branch Post Master, in the East Garo Hills district of Meghalaya due to a bribery scandal, as reported by agency sources on Tuesday.
According to sources from the central investigative agency, the arrested individuals are Adarsh Kumar, Assistant Branch Post Master; N. Hemanta Meitai, Sub-Division Inspector; and Arjun Reang, Postman at Rongjeng Sub-Post Office in Williamnagar, located in Meghalaya’s East Garo Hills district.
During the operation, CBI officials also seized Rs 2.30 lakh in cash from the homes of the accused.
The CBI initiated this case on October 4 following a complaint from the Gram Dak Sevak, Block Post Master of the Rongjeng Sub-Office, indicating that the accused had solicited an illegal advantage in the form of a bribe (equivalent to two months’ salary of the complainant) in exchange for releasing his salary, which had been pending for the last 10 months.
After negotiations, the accused consented to accept a bribe of Rs 30,000 and instructed the complainant to pay the bribe once his salary was disbursed. CBI set a trap and apprehended the accused Assistant Branch Post Master (Adarsh Kumar) red-handed while he was accepting the bribe of Rs 30,000 from the complainant.
Subsequently, the co-accused, the Sub-Division Inspector and Postman, were also arrested in Shillong (Meghalaya) and Ambassa in Dhalai district (Tripura) on Tuesday, October 7.
CBI conducted searches at the office and residences of the accused in Williamnagar (East Garo Hills district) and Upanagar village in Dhalai District, Tripura, uncovering incriminating documents and seizing Rs 2.30 lakh in cash from the residence of the accused postman in Upanagar Village, Ambassa.
The individuals taken into custody will be presented before the appropriate court, and the investigation remains ongoing.