Rewari bribery case: CBI arrests PNB manager, middleman

NEW DELHI : The CBI arrested a Punjab National Bank senior manager and his accomplice on Tuesday for taking a bribe of ₹1 lakh for disbursing loans for purchase of buffaloes, officials said.

Sumer Singh, senior manager at the PNB’S Kanwali branch in Rewari district of Haryana, and his accomplice Satish were nabbed by the agency while the latter was accepting the bribe from the complainant, they said.

A loan amount of ₹24.72 lakh to the complainant was approved by the Animal Husbandry Department for running a dairy unit in Kushpura, according to the FIR.

“The accused was demanding bribe of ₹1 lakh in lieu of part disbursement of ₹7.92 lakh against purchase of buffaloes...the accused allegedly directed the complainant to hand over the bribe amount to a middleman (private person),” CBI spokesperson R K Gaur said.

The CBI laid a trap and caught the middleman (private person) red-handed while accepting the bribe of Rs one lakh from the complainant on behalf of the accused senior manager of Punjab National Bank, he said.

“Both the accused have been arrested. Search was conducted at the premises of accused at Mohindergarh (Haryana),” the CBI spokesperson said. KARNAL:AHEAD of paddy procurement season, commission agents of Haryana on Tuesday observed a day-long strike here against the state government’s policy of making direct payments to paddy farmers.

The farmers remained at the receiving end as they were unable to sell their produce on the second consecutive day. On Monday, rice mill owners had called for a strike which kept the buyers at bay leading to pile up of unsold stocks in the grain markets across the state. Protesting under the banner of Haryana State Anaj Mandi Ahrtia Association, the commission agents opposed the direct payment to farmers and demanded the state government to pay interest if the payment of food grains purchased by the authorities was delayed.

They alleged that the government wants to break the relationship of farmer and ahrtiya by bringing in direct payment system, which will be implemented from the upcoming procurement season beginning October 1. “This was a symbolic strike but will resume in future if the government fails to fulfil its promises made to the commission agents”, said Ashok Gupta, president of commission agents association.

Heaps of paddy were lying unprocured in the mandis with farmers waiting for buyers. “We have been waiting for buyers for past two days,” said Krishan Kumar, a farmer from Yamunanagar.

He alleged that the farmers were being harassed due to monopoly of commission agents and apathy of the state government. “The government should take immediate action to provide relief to the farming community,” he added.

However, officials of Haryana State Agriculture Marketing Board (HSAMB) said they have not received any directions, as of now, regarding the direct payments system. Government Officials claim that the system was being introduced to stop horsetrading and black marketing in the state mandis.