Synopsis
On March 24, the CBI arrested a General Manager of NHAI and three individuals for a bribe of Rs 15 lakh. The operation revealed illicit assets worth Rs 1.18 crore, leading to searches across multiple regions.Key Takeaways
- CBI arrested NHAI GM and three associates.
- Bribe amount involved is Rs 15 lakh.
- Illicit assets seized total Rs 1.18 crore.
- Searches conducted in multiple cities.
- Case registered against 12 individuals including public servants.
New Delhi, March 24 (NationPress) A General Manager of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) along with three other individuals has been apprehended by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in a case involving a bribe of Rs 15 lakh, as per an official announcement made on Monday.
The official further mentioned that illicit assets totaling Rs 1.18 crore have also been confiscated.
Among those detained are a General Manager of a private enterprise, and the operation was triggered following an immediate exchange of a bribe of Rs 15 lakh accepted by the NHAI official in Patna, which was classified as illegal compensation for providing undue advantages in the processing and approval of bills associated with contracts and operations, he stated.
Following the arrests, searches were executed at the locations of the NHAI official and other suspects, leading to the recovery of Rs 1.18 crore.
These searches took place across the residential and official sites of the accused in Patna, Muzaffarpur, Samastipur, Begusarai, Purnia, Ranchi, and Varanasi, resulting in the recovery of Rs 1.18 crore, incriminating documents, and electronic devices.
A case was filed by the CBI on March 22, 2025, against twelve suspects, which includes six public servants of the rank of Chief General Manager/General Manager (GM) and other senior positions within NHAI, one private company, four senior representatives from the private firm, including two GMs, as well as another private contractor and unidentified other public and private individuals.
It was claimed that the accused public servants from NHAI, in collusion with the accused representatives of the private firm, were facilitating and granting undue benefits in the processing and approval of bills concerning contracts awarded to the private firm in exchange for illegal compensation.
Furthermore, it was alleged that after arranging the bribe funds, a representative from the private firm planned to meet the public servant in Patna (near his residence) on March 22 to deliver the bribe amount.
Upon receiving a tip-off, the CBI set up a trap and apprehended the representative from the private firm along with the accused General Manager (recipient of the bribe) of NHAI and the accused GM (provider of the bribe) from the private company in the act of handing over the Rs 15 lakh.
The public servant who accepted the bribe was arrested immediately after the transaction, as reported by a CBI official.
