The CBI has arrested Director (Marketing), Gas Authority of India, New Delhi, ES Ranganathan and five others during the investigation of a bribery case. The agency recovered cash of Rs 1.29 crore and gold jewellery and other valuables from the premises of the accused GAIL official besides Rs 84 lakh from the possession of the accused private persons representing private firms also accused in the case.
Besides the GAIL Director, the agency arrested Pawan Gaur, Delhi (a private person); N Ramakrishnan Nair, Gurgaon (another private person); Rajesh Kumar, New Delhi, Director of Rishab Polychem Pvt. Ltd, Saurabh Gupta, Panchkula, of United Polymer Industries, Chandigarh; Aditya Bansal, Karnal of Bansal Agencies, Karnal, Haryana.
Before the arrests, the agency conducted searches at the premises of the accused at Delhi, Noida, Gurgaon, Panchkula and Karnal till late on Saturday which led to recovery of Rs 84 lakh, including recovery of Rs 75 lakh from Gurgaon-based private person N Ramakrishnan Nair.
Searches at the premises of GAIL Director led to his arrest and recovery of the cash and other valuables, including jewellery.
Earlier, the CBI has registered a case against eight accused including Director (Marketing) GAIL, private persons, private companies and unknown public servants/private persons, the CBI said in a statement.
“The allegations are that the Director (Marketing), GAIL (a Central Public Sector Undertaking), was allegedly indulging into corrupt and illegal activities in conspiracy with other accused who were acting as his middleman, by obtaining bribe from the private companies buying petro chemical products marketed by the GAIL,” it
said.
It was further alleged that at the direction of the representative of an accused private company, a private person had requested the GAIL Director for allowing some discount to the buyers on petro chemical products being marketed by the PSU in lieu of illegal
gratification.
It was also alleged that Nair has also collected Rs 40 lakh from the other accused earlier in this matter.
The CBI laid a trap and apprehended a private person and a Director of a private company based at Delhi when the alleged bribe of Rs. 10 lakh was received by the private person representing the accused private firm on behalf of, Director (Marketing) GAIL, it added.