Bhubaneswar: The CBI has arrested an Assistant Engineer (Civil), Postal Civil Sub Division, Sambalpur while demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 1.22 lakh for himself as well as another amount of Rs 18,500/- as a bribe for an Executive Engineer (Civil), Postal Division, Bhubaneswar from an individual, the complainant in this case.
It was alleged that the bribe was demanded for releasing the balance payment of Rs 3.77 lakh towards the AMC Contract given to Complainant. A Contractor who received the bribe amount of Rs 18,500 from the Assistant Engineer on behalf of the Executive Engineer, has also been arrested.
The arrestees, in this case, are Suvasish Pal (the Assistant Engineer) and Debendra Kumar Puhan (the Contractor). The accused will be produced before the Competent Court at Bhubaneswar on Saturday.
CBI has registered a case against the accused on the allegations that the Complainant was issued the work order in December 2021 for the repair & maintenance of Postal Staff Quarters at New P & T Colony, Rourkela. He has completed the works amounting to Rs 19.47 lakh, the CBI stated.
The complainant alleged that for the same contract, disbursement of Rs 1.77 lakh was withheld for the delay in execution and Rs 2 lakh was withheld for test check.
For releasing the withheld amount of Rs 3.77 lakh, the Assistant Engineer allegedly demanded bribe of Rs 1.50 lakh for himself and another Rs 18,500, for the Executive Engineer, the CBI stated.
It was also alleged that upon negotiation, the accused agreed to receive the bribe of Rs. 1,22,000/- for himself and Rs. 18,500/- for Executive Engineer.
“CBI laid a trap and caught the accused for demanding and accepting the bribe. Searches were conducted on the premises of accused at Bhubaneswar, Sambalpur and Patna which led to recovery of certain incriminating documents,” the CBI stated.
