NHAI Official Arrested for Bribery
According to reports from the news agency ANI, a senior official of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), Arvind Kale, was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in Nagpur for reportedly soliciting a bribe of Rs 20 lakh to expedite the clearance of pending bills.
CBI Conducts Searches in Bhopal and Nagpur
The CBI is currently conducting searches at five locations in Bhopal and Nagpur. Arvind Kale, who also serves as a project director, is accused of accepting the bribe from a private company.
Cash Seizure and Case Registration
During the search operation following Kale’s arrest, the CBI seized Rs 45 lakh in cash, which included the alleged bribe of Rs 20 lakh. A case has been filed against Kale and 11 others, including the private company.
Second Major Arrest in Recent Months
This marks the second significant arrest of its kind in recent months. Last July, the CBI detained a Deputy Chief Engineer of Railways, a Deputy General Manager of NHAI, and several others in connection with a bribery case.
Details of Previous Bribery Case
In another instance, the CBI arrested the Deputy Chief Engineer of West Central Railways stationed at Habibganj in Bhopal and the DGM of NHAI stationed in Katni in a sting operation. They were allegedly seeking bribes from a private firm involved in a road infrastructure project in Madhya Pradesh, which includes the widening of National Highway 30 and the construction of a railway overbridge. It was claimed that the NHAI official was demanding bribes from the Railways Deputy Chief Engineer to resolve pending issues related to design approval, permission for commencing work, and processing due bills for the contractor in question.
Comments 1