Sisodia OSD held for graft

The CBI has arrested Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia’s OSD (Officer on Special Duty), Gopal Krishna Madhav, on the basis of information provided by a middleman who allegedly collected bribes from transporters on his behalf, officials said on Friday.

The arrest of Madhav was made by the agency in an operation on Thursday evening, ahead of the crucial Delhi elections, after middleman Dheeraj Gupta, nabbed on February 5, claimed he was collecting money on behalf of the officer.

Sources said that the agency has not found Mr Sisodia’s involvement in the case so far.

“CBI has arrested Dheeraj Gupta, who is a resident of Delhi, and Gopal Krishna Madhav, the GST officer in trade and taxes department of government of NCT Delhi, who is also the OSD to deputy CM of Delhi, in a bribery case of `2.26 lakh,” a CBI spokesperson said.

During the questioning, Gupta claimed that he was collecting the bribe for Madhav, a Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar Island civil service officer in trade and tax department, officials said.

“It was alleged that the private person (Gupta) was acting as a middleman on behalf of some GST department officers, including for the public servant (Madhav), for collecting illegal gratification from transporters for not charging GST from them,” the spokesperson said. Madhav was immediately taken to the headquarters where he was questioned in detail by the CBI officers, officials said.

Gupta has been sent to judicial custody by a special court while Madhav will be produced before court on Friday, they said.