CBI seizes Rs 40 lakh in cash, arrests IDAS officer in bribery case

CBI has seized Rs 40 lakh cash during searches conducted after arrest of Indian Defence Accounts Service officer attached to Army's South Western Command in Rs 10 lakh bribery case, officials said

The CBI has seized Rs 40 lakh in cash during searches conducted after the arrest of an Indian Defence Accounts Service (IDAS) officer attached to the Army's South Western Command in a Rs 10 lakh bribery case, officials said on Friday.

The agency has arrested Uma Shankar Prasad Kushwaha, a 1998-batch IDAS officer attached to the South Western Command in Jaipur as the Integrated Financial Advisor (IFA), along with Ram Roop Meena, an accounts officer posted at the IFA office, Vijay Nama, a junior translator, and alleged middleman Rajendra Singh of Jaipur-based Tanushree Services.

Three private persons -- Sunil Kumar of Jind-based Hitech Security Services Private Limited, Prabjinder Singh Brar of Ganganagar-based ESS PEE Traders and Dinesh Kumar Jindal of Bhatinda-based D K Enterprises -- were also arrested on bribery charges on Thursday, the officials said.

"It was alleged that the accused of the three private firms entered into a conspiracy and were obtaining all works related to outsourcing of conservancy services for various locations in South Western Command and for extending undue favour in the award of the said works, bypassing the provisions of GeM as well as for payment of bills without objection," a CBI spokesperson said in a statement.

The companies had allegedly conspired to bribe the IFA officials to get clearances for their bills without any objection.

Kushwaha, in connivance with Meena, Nama and Singh, was regularly demanding and obtaining illegal gratification from the accused private contractors to clear their bills and favour them in getting contracts, in violation of guidelines, the CBI has alleged.

All the arrested accused will be produced before a special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court in Haryana's Panchkula, the officials said.

"Searches were conducted at nine different places, including Jaipur, Jind, Bathinda and Ganganagar, which led to the recovery of cash of Rs 40 lakh (approx.), various property documents relating to public servants and incriminating documents," the spokesperson of the federal probe agency said.