india

Updated: Sep 12, 2019 21:23 IST

The Central Bureau of Investigation on Thursday arrested a section officer of ministry of home affairs (MHA) – Dheeraj Kumar Singh along with a private person – Dinesh Chand Gupta for offering Rs two crore bribe to a DIG rank officer of the agency for influencing probe in a preliminary enquiry (PE) against a private company and a public sector unit.

A PE is the first step for investigation in the CBI.

The agency’s Spokesperson said, “The CBI had registered a case on a complaint received from the CBI officer alleging therein that a section officer of the MHA and a private person offered him a bribe of Rs 2 crore in lieu of his help in settling a Preliminary Enquiry being dealt in CBI.”

Another official in the agency, who didn’t wish to be named, said the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) is conducting a PE against a private company which got a contract from a government department. “A person close to Singh is under investigation in the PE. So, he approached a DIG in the Anti-Corruption Branch and asked him to settle the PE for Rs 2 crore. The DIG informed the senior brass after which it was decided that Singh would be lured by promising him relief in the enquiry,” said the officer.

The DIG engaged Singh in negotiations and it was decided that latter will pay Rs 16 lakh as first installment of the bribe, which was to be delivered on Thursday morning.

CBI laid a trap and caught Singh and Gupta when they were delivering Rs 16 lakh to its DIG. Their residences are being searched.

Singh is posted in the Police-1 division in the MHA, which deals with the postings, guidelines, administrative work pertaining to the IPS officers; president police medals etc and is considered a sensitive unit.

The MHA will also take action against Singh after CBI submits its report.

“CBI also advises the public not to attempt to settle any investigation matters with the CBI by using influence and also not to be allured by services of middlemen who may offer to settle cases with the agency,” said CBI Spokesperson.