Three Individuals Arrested in Puducherry PWD Bribery Case: CBI Recovers Rs 73 Lakh
Click to start listening
Synopsis
The CBI has arrested three individuals, including a Chief Engineer and an Executive Engineer from Puducherry PWD, along with a contractor, for bribery charges. Rs 73 lakh in unaccounted cash was recovered during the investigation, highlighting serious corruption issues within the department.
Key Takeaways
- Three individuals arrested for bribery.
- Bribe amount of Rs 2 lakh exchanged.
- Rs 73 lakh in unaccounted cash recovered.
- Investigation reveals systemic corruption.
- CBI conducted trap operation successfully.
Chennai, March 23 (NationPress) The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has apprehended three individuals, including the Chief Engineer and Executive Engineer of the Puducherry Public Works Department (PWD), alongside a private contractor, on accusations of bribery.
An official confirmed that the apprehensions occurred soon after a bribe amounting to Rs 2 lakh was exchanged.
The CBI disclosed that it had initiated a case on Saturday against the accused and other unidentified individuals.
“This case involves allegations that the Executive Engineer, under whose supervision the contractor was executing a road project for the PWD in Karaikal, solicited a bribe of Rs 6 lakh,” the official stated.
This sum, approximately 1 percent of the total estimated tender value of Rs 7.44 crore, was reportedly meant for the Chief Engineer to facilitate timely site clearance and payment approvals without delays.
“Following a complaint, we set a trap on March 22 and caught the accused in the act as the Executive Engineer accepted Rs 2 lakh from the contractor in the presence of the Chief Engineer,” the CBI representative explained.
The bribe amount was retrieved from the Executive Engineer’s possession, along with an extra Rs 50,000 taken from the contractor’s vehicle.
After the arrests, CBI teams executed searches at the residential and official locations of the accused in Puducherry and Karaikal.
“These searches resulted in the recovery of Rs 73 lakh in unaccounted cash - Rs 65 lakh from the residence of the Chief Engineer and Rs 8 lakh from the residence of the Executive Engineer - along with numerous incriminating documents,” the official reported.
He mentioned that all three accused were presented before the Judicial Magistrate I, Karaikal, on Sunday and were placed in judicial custody.
