The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has booked five Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) officials, including Under Secretary Sanjay Mehta, and four companies for siphoning off Rs 18.17 lakhs through fraudulent ways of issuance of sanction orders and bills. The agency also carried out raids at 11 premises of the accused officials and private persons in the National Capital Region.

The agency had registered a case against Under Secretary Sanjay Mehta, Section Officer Hemant, Assistant Section Officer RK Arora, Section Officer Vijay Pal and Assistant Section Officer Mahendra Singh, all posted in the Training Section of DoPT, on charges of cheating, forgery and criminal conspiracy under the Indian Penal Code. The agency has also booked Ashok, a data operator, and five private companies -- Institute of Public Administration, Institute of Public Science, Kavita Ahluwalia, Kapil Book Stories and Sahej Trading Corporation -- in the same the case.

According to the CBI official, all the accused were booked after a complaint from DoPT Director (Training) VK Sinha on September 9. Sinha in the complaint alleged that the DoPT officials had siphoned off government funds through fraudulent sanction orders.

The DoPT carried out an internal inquiry after they received a complaint of financial irregularities. During inquiry they found that out of total 67 payments made during 2017 under Training for All schemes amounting to Rs 9.21 crore, eight bills amounting to Rs 18.17 lakh were fraudulently issued in the name of five vendors. On further enquiry, the DoPT found that the three bills were were fraudulently issued last year also.

Thereafter, all the suspected accused persons are placed under suspension.