Bhubaneswar: The CBI on Sunday arrested a high-ranking official of the Bridge and Roof Co. (India) Limited on charges of accepting Rs 10 lakh bribe from a businessman in Bhubaneswar to award work orders and clear bills. The agency also arrested the director of a Bhubaneswar-based construction company for giving bribe, as well as his associate.
While the official was identified as Chanchal Mukherjee, group general manager of Bridge and Roof Co. (India) Limited, a central PSU, the other two arrested were businessman Santosh Moharana and his side Debadutta Mohapatra.
On Saturday, CBI had registered a case against four persons (including the three arrested), besides some other unknown public servants and individuals following allegations that Mukherjee was indulging in corrupt and illegal activities in the matter of awarding work orders and clearing bills in exchange for bribes.
“Santosh Moharana met Mukherjee at his Bhubaneswar office on Friday. During the meeting, Mukherjee demanded Rs 10 lakh cash from Moharana. Mukherjee promised Moharana to adjust the said amount in future billings,” a CBI officer said.
Following a tip-off about the illicit transaction, the CBI set up an operation and laid the trap. The agency officials said they arrested Mukherjee near a luxury hotel in Jayadev Vihar while receiving the bribe money from Moharana.
“We also arrested Mohapatra for his role as a co-conspirator in abetting and facilitating the exchange of undue favour. Searches were conducted at eight locations in Bhubaneswar and Kolkata. Several incriminating documents and a vehicle used in the commission of offence along with digital devices have been seized,” the CBI officer said.
Mukherjee denied the charges against him. “I did not take any bribe. Everything will be clear after the investigation. I am cooperating with the agency,” Mukherjee told reporters while being taken for routine medical examination after his arrest. He avoided questions about his links with the other two accused.
Sources said the CBI court allowed the agency to take Mukherjee, Moharana and Mohapatra on three-day remand for further questioning.