CBI busts army postings racket, arrests Lt Colonel

The CBI on Saturday said it has busted a transfer racket at the Army Headquarters here with the arrest of a Lt Colonel and a middleman who took a bribe for the transfer of a Bengaluru-based Army officer to a choice posting. Lt Col Ranganathan Suvramani Moni, posted in the Personnel Department at the Army Headquarters, was arrested.

A lieutenant colonel in the Indian Army was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation for allegedly being part of a racket to manipulate the posting of army officers for bribes, officials said on Saturday.

The case, brought to light when the CBI filed an FIR on Thursday, unearthed a corruption operation that could implicate a number of senior officers, including a brigadier.

Lt Col Ranganathan Suvramani Moni, an officer in the Personnel Department at the Army Headquarters, was arrested after allegedly receiving a part of ₹5 lakh bribe for the transfer of Bengaluru-based army officer S Subhas.

The deal is said to have been brokered by a civilian Gaurav Kohli and another army officer Purushottam.

Kohli, Purushottam, Moni and Subhas are named in the CBI first-investigation report. Moni was caught taking ₹2 lakh of the bribe. In addition to a deal for the transfer of Subhas, the Lt Col is also accused of being involved in efforts to manipulate the posting of Hyderabad-based officer DSRK Reddy.

Purushottam is said to have put Subhas and Reddy in touch with Kohli, who is a close acquaintance of a number of senior army officers.

Kohli in turn approached Moni, who is posted in the army department that deals with transfers. CBI investigators believe Moni was in touch with an officer senior to him, brigadier SK Grover, to ensure the manipulated transfers.

Grover has not been named as an accused. Officials said the bribe was routed through hawala operators, who took the money from Subhas to Kohli.