CBI Charges MCD Clerk for Extorting Bribe from Retired Employee's Family
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Synopsis
A clerk at MCD was charged by CBI for demanding a bribe from the family of a retired employee to release post-retirement benefits. The clerk extorted Rs 15,000 initially and continued to harass the complainant for the remaining amount.
Key Takeaways
- CBI has charged MCD clerk for corruption.
- Clerk demanded Rs 50,000 bribe.
- Initial payment of Rs 15,000 was made.
- Complaint filed by the retired employee's wife.
- Investigation is ongoing under Prevention of Corruption Act.
New Delhi, April 18 (NationPress) A clerk employed at the Municipal Corporation of Delhi has been charged by the CBI for soliciting a bribe of Rs 50,000 from the family of a sick retired colleague in exchange for releasing his post-retirement benefits that amount to several lakhs, an official confirmed on Friday.
Ram Lalit Bhandari, stationed at the MCD’s Gulmohar Park office in southern Delhi, is facing an FIR under corruption laws based on a complaint filed by Santosh Devi, the spouse of retired civic agency worker Gopal Singh.
Bhandari compelled Santosh Devi to pay Rs 15,000 as an initial bribe and continued to harass her via phone for the remaining sum, according to the complainant.
Santosh Devi, who resides in Sun Light Colony, Hari Nagar, Ashram, mentioned that her husband retired as a guard from an MCD office in Greater Kailash on December 31, 2024. However, despite numerous attempts over the past three months, his post-retirement benefits have yet to be released.
In her complaint, dated April 16, she stated that Bhandari persistently contacted her via mobile to demand the bribe.
“My husband has been bedridden for two years,” she explained, adding, “Bhandari insisted that he would not process the file for the release of his post-retirement benefits unless she paid him Rs 50,000.”
She informed the CBI that she had already paid Rs 15,000 to Bhandari earlier this month and pleaded for assistance due to her limited funds, but he continued to insist on the total amount of Rs 50,000.
The complaint from the retired MCD employee’s wife was received by the CBI’s Anti-Corruption Branch on Thursday and was assigned to an inspector for further verification.
The CBI's order for registering the FIR against Bhandari stated, “The complaint and subsequent verification report prima facie reveal an offence punishable under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (amended in 2018) on the part of Ram Lalit Bhandari.”
A formal case under Section 7 of the PC Act has been initiated against Ram Lalit Bhandari and has been assigned to an inspector for investigation, according to the order.
