Bhubaneswar: A day after seizure of a huge amount of cash from a luxury car in Bhubaneswar, the CBI on Sunday arrested three persons, including a Central PSU official, for allegedly demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 10 lakh.
Those arrested have been identified as Group General Manager (GMM) of Central PSU Bridge and Roof Company, (India) Limited, Chanchal Mukherjee, director of Penta A Studio Pvt Ltd Santosh Moharana and middleman Debadutta Mohapatra.
They were later produced in a Special CBI court here, which allowed the central agency to take them on 3-day remand.
A CBI release said that the trio was apprehended during a surprise raid near a star hotel in the city late last evening. They were caught after a bribe of Rs 10 lakh was allegedly paid to the GMM.
A case was registered on December 7 against the accused on the allegation that the GMM indulged in corrupt and illegal activities while awarding work orders and clearing bills. The director of the private firm had met Mukherjee on December 6 at his Bhubaneswar office during which the latter had demanded Rs 10 lakh and assured to adjust the amount in future billings.
Accordingly the trap was laid and the trio was nabbed. The bribe money was also recovered from them.
The released termed the third accused, who is the director of Aditya Dev Infratech, as co-conspirator in abetting and facilitating the exchange of undue favours. “Searches are being conducted at 8 locations in Bhubaneswar (Odisha) and Kolkata (West Bengal) which has so far led to recovery of incriminating documents and a vehicle used in the commission of offence along with digital devices,” it said, adding that further Investigation is underway.
Sources said that cash, gold and some incriminating documents were also seized during raids at the Phulnakhara residence of Mohapatra.
