CBI Arrests Four in Rs 8 Lakh Bribery Case Involving CSIR-NEIST Officials
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested four individuals, including two public servants, in connection with an Rs 8 lakh bribery case. The arrests were made following an investigation into corrupt activities involving officials from CSIR-NEIST, Jorhat, and a private company director.
Details of the Case
The First Information Report (FIR) alleges that the accused public servants accepted undue advantages from private parties in exchange for favors in procurement and contract awards. The CBI registered the case on July 26 against five public servants, including:
- A Controller of Stores & Purchase (COSP) at CSIR-NEIST, Jorhat
- A Principal Scientist at CID, CSIR-NEIST, Jorhat
- A Finance and Accounts Officer (F&AO) at CSIR-NEIST, Jorhat
- A former Controller of Finance and Accounts (CoFA) now at CSIR-NIScPR, New Delhi
- A Senior Principal Scientist at CID, CSIR-NEIST, Jorhat
The case also involves a ‘Director’ of a private company in New Delhi and a resident of Jorhat, Assam.
Bribery Details
The former CoFA allegedly secured Rs 7 crores for NEIST, Jorhat, to purchase equipment from the accused Director’s company. The COSP and F&AO discussed their bribe shares of Rs 7 lakh and Rs 2 lakh, respectively. The Senior Principal Scientist also expected a bribe for future work orders.
The Director instructed his brother to withdraw Rs 8 lakh in cash, with Rs 7 lakh for the COSP and Rs 1 lakh for himself. The CBI caught the COSP and Principal Scientist receiving the bribes on July 24. The bribe amounts were recovered, and the public servants were arrested in Jorhat on July 26. The Director was arrested on July 27 in Guwahati.
Searches and Court Proceedings
Searches were conducted at 18 locations across Assam, Jharkhand, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Delhi, resulting in the recovery of incriminating documents. The arrested individuals are being presented in court in Guwahati today.
Doubts Revealed
CBI -: CBI stands for Central Bureau of Investigation. It is India’s main agency for investigating serious crimes like corruption and bribery.
Bribery -: Bribery is when someone gives money or gifts to another person to get something unfairly, like a favor or a contract.
CSIR-NEIST -: CSIR-NEIST stands for Council of Scientific and Industrial Research – North East Institute of Science and Technology. It is a research institute in Jorhat, Assam, that works on scientific and industrial projects.
Public servants -: Public servants are people who work for the government and provide services to the public, like teachers, police officers, and government officials.
Private company director -: A private company director is a person who manages or runs a private business. They make important decisions for the company.
Contracts -: Contracts are legal agreements between two or more parties. In this case, it means agreements for doing certain work or providing services.
Incriminating documents -: Incriminating documents are papers or files that show someone has done something illegal or wrong.
Guwahati -: Guwahati is a major city in the state of Assam, India. It is known for its temples and the Brahmaputra River.
