CBI busts bribery ring at NCL in Madhya Pradesh, own DSP among 5 arrested

PTI, Aug 19, 2024, 6:32 PM IST

The CBI has arrested five people, including its own deputy superintendent of police and two officials of the Northern Coalfields Limited (NCL), in Madhya Pradesh’s Singrauli in an alleged corruption and bribery case.

NCL is a ‘Mini Ratna’ company under the Coal Ministry.

The federal probe agency conducted searches in connection with the case on August 17 in Singrauli and Jabalpur as well as Noida in Uttar Pradesh.

The premises of various officials of the NCL, including that of Subedar Ojha, Private Secretary to CMD NCL and manager (secretariat), former NCL CMD Bhola Singh, its present chief vigilance officer (CVO)and some other senior officers were searched, official sources said.

Those who have been arrested are deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Joy Joseph Damle, posted at CBI anti-corruption branch at Jabalpur; Subedar Ojha; Lt Col (retired) Basant Kumar Singh, chief manager administration at NCL, Singrauli; Ravi Shankar Singh, alleged middleman and director of Sangam Engineering in Singrauli and his associate Diwesh Singh.

The agency produced them before a special court in Jabalpur on Monday that sent them to CBI custody till August 24, sources said.

A Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) spokesperson said Rs 3.85 crore in cash was recovered from Ojha’s residence.

“This amount was allegedly amassed from several contractors and officials in lieu of favours for their operations in NCL, Singrauli,” the spokesperson said.

He added that Ravi Shankar Singh was allegedly acting as a “conduit” between various contractors, businessmen and several officials of NCL, facilitating and delivering “bribes”.

The CBI spokesperson said Diwesh Singh was arrested “red handed” while delivering a Rs 5 lakh “bribe” to Damle in lieu of obtaining a favourable report in matters of complaints and investigation pending against them and being conducted by the probe agency.

“It was alleged that on August 16, on the instructions of Ravi Shankar Singh, Ajay Verma, an employee of Ravi Singh, collected Rs 5 lakh from Lt Col (retd) Basant Kumar Singh.

“The bribe amount was allegedly sent by Subedar Ojha. On August 17, Ravi Shankar Singh instructed Diwesh Singh to deliver this amount to DSP Damle,” the spokesperson said.

The CBI also seized digital devices and “incriminating” documents during the searches.