Did CBI Arrest Two ESIC Officials in Vijayawada on Bribery Charges?
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- CBI arrests two ESIC officials on bribery charges.
- Accused demanded Rs 50,000 to delay legal actions.
- The complainant's firm suffered due to FCI debarment.
- This case highlights corruption issues within government agencies.
- Ongoing investigations are being conducted by the CBI.
Vijayawada, Nov 26 (NationPress) The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has detained two officials from the Employees' State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) on accusations of soliciting and receiving a bribe.
The national agency apprehended the Revenue Recovery Officer (RRO) and Social Security Officer (SSO) of ESIC in Vijayawada, catching them in the act of demanding and accepting a bribe amounting to Rs 50,000 from the complainant.
On November 25, the CBI initiated legal action against RRO K. Sai Kumar and SSO A. Ravi Kumar, as documented in an agency statement released on Wednesday.
The complainant revealed to the CBI that in 2020, he established a proprietorship firm to bid for FCI tenders.
This firm was duly registered with the ESI Corporation. Unfortunately, due to technical issues, his firm faced a three-year debarment from FCI, preventing him from securing any contracts.
On November 20, the two accused officials visited the complainant's residence and served a notice for the attachment of his house.
The SSO demanded a bribe of Rs 50,000 (with Rs 30,000 for the RRO and Rs 20,000 for himself) to postpone the attachment and auction process until December 31.
The CBI orchestrated a sting operation, successfully catching the SSO red-handed while he was demanding and accepting the bribe from the complainant. Subsequently, both officials were taken into custody.
The agency confirmed that the accused will be presented before the Special Judge Court for CBI Cases in Vijayawada.
Ongoing searches are being conducted, the statement added.
Earlier in March, the CBI apprehended Joint Director (Scientist D) of the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), Vijayawada branch, Ramakanth Sagar Muthyala, alongside another individual, for reportedly accepting a bribe of Rs 70,000 from an engineering firm.
The BIS official was arrested along with V. Lakshminarayana Reddy, known as Babu Reddy, a representative of Kronax Engineering and Pressure Vessels Private Limited, following the completion of the alleged bribe transaction.
The CBI indicated that the bribe was intended to secure BIS approval for the manufacturing of 12,500 cylinders.