CBI nabs CPWD engineer, four others, in ₹50 lakh bribery case

The accused had sought a bribe of ₹70 lakh for issuing an NOC saying the CPWD had no claim over a plot in Wadala which the real estate group was eyeing for a construction project

MUMBAI: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested an executive engineer with the Central Public Works Department (CPWD), Mumbai, his relative and three officials of a city-based real estate firm in connection with an alleged ₹50-lakh bribery case related to the issuance of a No Objection Certificate (NOC) for a plot in Wadala.

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The accused executive engineer, Vikrant Verma, had allegedly demanded a bribe of ₹1 crore through his relative, Saurav Kumar, for issuing an NOC saying the CPWD had no claim over a plot in Wadala which the real estate group was eyeing for a construction project. The bribe amount was subsequently reduced to ₹70 lakh, while the five accused were arrested on Thursday after the CBI laid a trap, agency officials said on Friday.

The CBI on Thursday registered a first information report (FIR) against Verma, Kumar, vice president of the real estate firm Arvind Semwal, and other unknown persons based on “source information”. The accused were booked under the Prevention of Corruption Act and sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita relating to criminal conspiracy, bribing of public servants, influencing public servants by corrupt or illegal means, obtaining undue advantage without consideration by public servant, and abetment.

On Thursday, the CBI laid a trap and nabbed Kumar while he was allegedly carrying a part of the bribe amount, ₹50 lakh, which he had accepted from Semwal. Verma was subsequently apprehended from Vashi, where he was allegedly waiting to receive the bribe, CBI officials said. A manager of the real estate firm, Chetan Mahajan, and the partner or an associated firm who were present during the transaction were also arrested, CBI officials said.

During investigation, it was found that the NOC had allegedly been issued without an entry in the dispatch register against payment of ₹50 lakh. The balance amount of ₹20 lakh was to be paid after a week, following which the dispatch number would be given to the real estate firm, the officials said.

Subsequently, the CBI conducted searches at the premises of the accused and their associates in Mumbai, Navi Mumbai and Pune, which led to the recovery of ₹53.87 lakh in cash, papers relating to immovable properties and other documents.