CBI files challan against eight in ₹1.3-lakh graft case
THE THEN DEPUTY CHIEF LABOUR COMMISSIONER AS WELL AS LABOUR ENFORCEMENT OFFICER WERE AMONG THOSE ARRESTED IN MAY 2019
CHANDIGARH: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday filed a chargesheet against eight persons in a Rs 1.3 lakh graft case, involving the then deputy chief labour commissioner Mahesh Chand Sharma.
On May 30, 2019, CBI had arrested five people, including Sharma, the then labour enforcement officer Vivek Naik, Gurmeet Sidhu and Munish Garg of Advantage HR Solutions, along with Akhand Raj Singh of Nagarjuna Construction Company Limited, Bathinda.
Sharma and Naik were caught red-handed receiving a bribe of Rs 1.3 lakh from the two partners of the HR firm and employee of the construction firm. The bribe was allegedly meant for favourable labour report to the Bathinda firm, while the HR personnel were reportedly acting as middlemen in the garb of their Bathinda-based consultancy.
According to the FIR, Naik had on May 8 conducted an inspection at the construction company and detected irregularities. Following this, firm employee Akhand Raj contacted Sidhu and complained that despite the quarterly payoffs, the inspection was carried out and the management had been asked to meet the officials personally.
On May 15, Sidhu contacted Naik and allegedly discussed the bribe amount. On May 29, Sidhu allegedly collected ₹1.5 lakh from the deputy general manager of the company and told Akhand Raj to arrange ₹35,000 for two quarters of the year, and ₹35,000 for inspection. He was also directed to visit Chandigarh on May 30.
The same day, the CBI laid a trap at a Panchkula hotel where the five accused were slated to meet and arrested them on the spot.
Later, three more persons — Inderjeet Singh Baath, Lakhwinder Singh and Venkata Ramiah — were also made accused. “Their files were also pending with the deputy chief labour commissioner. They had agreed to give money for getting their work done. This information was found out during investigation,” said an official.
The eight accused have been chargesheeted under Section 7 (offence relating to public servant being bribed), 7A (taking undue advantage to influence public servant by corrupt or illegal means or by exercise of personal influence) and Section 8 (taking gratification, in order, by corrupt or illegal means, to influence public servant) of the Prevention of Corruption Act and Section 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code.