CBI arrests SDM for taking Rs 50,000 bribe

NEW DELHI: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested a sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) working with the Delhi government for allegedly taking a bribe

NEW DELHI: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested a sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) working with the Delhi government for allegedly taking a bribe of Rs 50,000. Three others were arrested in the case.

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The official Rahul Aggarwal — a 2012-batch Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar Islands Civil Service (DANICS) officer — was posted as SDM, Saraswati Vihar near Pitampura. He was arrested on Thursday night by a CBI team that had earlier nabbed one of his aides for allegedly collecting a bribe of Rs 50,000 on his behalf from two builders.

The agency arrested the alleged middleman, Sandip, and the two builders in the case. The CBI began a probe in the case on the basis of specific intelligence against the accused official.

“The allegations were that Rahul Aggarwal had deployed a middleman, Sandip, to inform him about alleged encroachments of public space by builders and owners of banquet halls, among others. Aggarwal served them notices after which Sandip would collect bribes from such suspected violators for not taking action against them,” said a CBI spokesperson.

“The middleman later claimed that the bribe he had collected was meant for Aggarwal,” said a source.

Following Aggarwal’s arrest, a search was carried out at his residence during which CBI seized Rs 5 lakh in cash.