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CBI arrests GAIL marketing director in bribery case
During the searches conducted at eight locations in Delhi-NCR, including Ranganathan’s office at Bhikaji Kama Place in Delhi and his residence in Sector 62, Noida, the agency recovered ₹1.29 crore in cash, gold jewellery and other valuables (with an approximate value of ₹1.25 crore)
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested ES Ranganathan, director (marketing) of state-run gas corporation GAIL, in a bribery case of over ₹50 lakh for allegedly giving discounts to private companies buying petrochemical products marketed by the firm, the agency said on Sunday.
The central agency has busted an alleged bribery racket involving Ranganathan, several middlemen and businessmen. It arrested five people in the case on Saturday.
Ranganathan was the sixth person to be arrested in the case.
During the searches conducted at eight locations in Delhi-NCR, including Ranganathan’s office at Bhikaji Kama Place in Delhi and his residence in Sector 62, Noida, the agency recovered ₹1.29 crore in cash, gold jewellery and other valuables (with an approximate value of ₹1.25 crore), CBI spokesperson RC Joshi said.
On Saturday, the agency recovered ₹84 lakh in cash from other accused in the case. So far, ₹2.13 crore in cash has been recovered in the case.
The agency said Ranganathan was collecting bribes from prospective beneficiaries of discounts to private companies that were buying petrochemical products marketed by the Gas Authority of India (GAIL).
“Ranganathan was indulging into corrupt and illegal activities in criminal conspiracy with middlemen Pawan Gaur and Rajesh Kumar, who is also director of Rishab Polychem Pvt. Ltd based at Bahudargarh Road, Delhi. Kumar and Gaur allegedly acted as Ranganathan’s middlemen by obtaining bribe from the private companies buying petrochemical products marketed by the Gas Authority of India Ltd (GAIL),” said a CBI official, asking not to be named.
Other than Ranganathan and middlemen Gaur and Kumar, the CBI also charged N Ramakrishnan Nair -- who allegedly collected bribes -- along with businessman Saurabh Gupta and his Panchkula-based company United Polymer Industries, and Aditya Bansal and his Karnal-based Bansal Agency.
CBI said that Gaur asked Ranganathan to give illegal discount to the buyers on the petrochemical products being marketed by GAIL.
The agency’s FIR in the case said that Kumar and Gaur met Ranganathan at his Noida residence on December 11 last year to discuss the proposal.
Two days later, Gaur informed Kumar that the discount proposal was being considered.
In order to arrange bribes, Kumar got in touch with other prospective beneficiaries of a discount, after the final decision was taken in GAIL on the issuance of the discount order. Gaur, Kumar and Ranganathan again met at a five-star hotel in Delhi on December 14 to discuss the matter, the agency said.
In an exchange filing on Sunday, GAIL said the financial impact of Ranganathan’s arrest cannot be ascertained at the moment.
It also said that as per media reports, Ranganathan has been arrested in the said case, but the company is not aware of any information other than those published or reported.
“At this stage no estimated financial impact or estimated amount can be ascertained,” GAIL added.
