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Chandigarh: Sanitary inspector held for taking ₹5 lakh bribe
The CBI registered an FIR on October 7 under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, against Sharma on the basis of a written complaint dated October 5 by contractor Prashant Bhadauria
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The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested Shakti Sharma, a sanitary inspector with the Chandigarh municipal corporation’s health department, for allegedly accepting a ₹5 lakh bribe from a contractor. A local court on Thursday remanded him to judicial custody till October 22.
The CBI registered an FIR on October 7 under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, against Sharma on the basis of a written complaint dated October 5 by contractor Prashant Bhadauria and a verification report submitted by a CBI sub-inspector on October 7.
According to the CBI, Sharma allegedly demanded ₹14 lakh from Bhadauria for processing and clearing pending and future bills of his firm. He allegedly threatened to withhold the bills and get the firm’s tender cancelled if the bribe was not paid.
Following verification, the CBI laid a trap on October 7 and Sharma was apprehended while allegedly accepting ₹5 lakh, the part payment of the demanded bribe, from Bhadauria in the presence of independent witnesses.
Sharma was arrested at 11.15 pm on October 7 after completion of legal formalities. CBI said he was informed in writing of the grounds of arrest and the information was also conveyed to his wife. He was medically examined at Government Multi-Specialty Hospital, Sector 16, Chandigarh, on October 8.
CBI also conducted searches at his residential and office premises, during which incriminating documents and documents relating to immovable property were recovered.
Seeking his judicial custody, the CBI told the court that the investigation was at an initial stage and documents, evidence and key witnesses were yet to be examined. It apprehended that the accused could influence or threaten witnesses or tamper with documents required for the investigation.
The court subsequently remanded Sharma to judicial custody till October 22.
