CBI registers graft case against Haryana-based retd CRPF officer
CHANDIGARH: : The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has booked Haryana-based retired Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) officer, along with a commandant rank officer posted in Bhopal, for allegedly receiving kickbacks while violating procurement rules.
Accused Suraj Bhan Kajal was posted at Sonepat as deputy inspector general (DIG) and inspector general (IG-CRPF) at Chandigarh when he allegedly committed the offence between 2013 and 2015.
Hailing from Bhawani Khera of Bhiwani district in Haryana, Kajal superannuated in January this year.
Another accused Shyam Sunder, who hails from Bankat village of Gorakhpur district in Uttar Pradesh, was then commandant of 228 Battalion and is now posted in CRPF Bhopal.
The Chandigarh branch of the CBI registered the case on September 18 against the accused under the Prevention of Corruption Act for the sus- pected offences such as “criminal conspiracy, cheating and abusing their official position as public servants.”
As per the CBI’s first information report (FIR), the CRPF officers, along with “unknown officials and private persons,” were booked after chief vigilance officer-cum-inspector general Piyush Anand of the CRPF recommended registration of the criminal case against Kajal and Sunder.
“In the preliminary inquiry, the misconduct of corruption/ illegal gratification/misuse of official position by Suraj Bhan Kajal, then DIG, GC, CRPF, Sonepat and IG NWS, CRPF, Chandigarh (now retired) and Shyam Sunder, commandant-228 Battalion CRPF (now posted in GC, CRPF, Bhopal) were prima facie estab- lished,” Piyush Anand, CVOcum-IG, CRPF had held in his three-page- report/letter sent to the CBI’s Chandigarh branch.
In the preliminary inquiry, the report of the CRPF IG stated that it was brought out that both the officers were involved in “systematic violation of rules and procedures of procurement.”
“The violation of rules/procedure of procurement caused loss to the state. There might have been payment of commission at various levels,” the IG had said in his report.
As per the CRPF report, Kajal was involved in procurement of over Rs-53 crore items such as ‘durries, air conditioners, fire extinguishers, voltage stabilisers, batteries, riot control helmets, ECG machines and folding cots.
The in-house CRPF inquiry also found that Rs 94,725 were spent on modification of a staff car (HR-49C-9504) at New Delhi on July 25, 2014.
“However, the car was out of station at Chandigarh from 23.07.2014 to 27.07.2014,” the report says.
Similarly, the CRPF has accused in-service officer Shayam Sunder of purchasing unauthorised uniform and other articles and distributing them among the recruits at higher rates.
The CRPF has already started “major penalty” proceedings against the two officers.
While urging the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to “register a criminal case” against Kajal and Sunder, the CRPF asked the central agency to investigate involvement of the two officers in “corruption during procurement of stores”, extending monetary benefits to particular suppliers, accepting illegal gratification/commission from suppliers and “nexus of above officers and other CRPF officials with private contractor/suppliers.”
ACCUSED SURAJ BHAN KAJAL WAS POSTED AT SONEPAT AS DEPUTY INSPECTOR GENERAL (DIG) AND INSPECTOR GENERAL (IGCRPF) AT CHANDIGARH WHEN HE ALLEGEDLY COMMITTED THE OFFENCE BETWEEN 2013 AND 2015.