CBI files case against IOC official, 4 others for seeking bribe

GUWAHATI: The CBI has registered a case against a senior official of an oil marketing company and four others for allegedly seeking bribe to allot petrol pumps and kerosene dealerships.

The investigating agency in a press release on Tuesday said its Guwahati office anti-corruption branch had registered a case on Sunday under Indian Penal Code section 120b (criminal conspiracy) and sections of Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018 against the five persons, including a woman.

The CBI said there were allegations against the accused of demanding and accepting illegal gratification habitually from different private businessmen, who own petrol pumps and kerosene oil dealerships.

It named the Indian Oil Corporation - Assam Oil Division general manager(sales) Dibyajyoti Datta for his alleged “connivance with private conduits for showing them favour in allotment of new retail outlets all over North Eastern st ates, i ncluding Assam”, according to the release. It said that as per information, Datta had demanded ₹5 lakh from Lalchand Choudhary alias Lalaram of Auto Centre Agent of IOC at Jharnapani in Nagaland for selection/allotment of petroleum retail outlet at Tuli, the CBI said.

The investigating agency claimed that Choudhary agreed to pay ₹2 lakh as part payment, which was t o be delivered through Bendangnaro Ao, an associate of Choudhary from Dimapur in Nagaland.

A CBI team caught Datta redhanded while accepting the bribe amount from Ao on February 11 at Guwahati, the statement mentioned.

A CBI TEAM CAUGHT DATTA RED-HANDED WHILE ACCEPTING THE BRIBE AMOUNT FROM AO ON FEBRUARY 11 IN GUWAHATI