MCD officials caught red-handed by CBI for bribery

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday arrested Lt Col Abhishek Kumar Mishra, deputy commissioner (Shahdara North Zone) of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), in a bribery case involving INR 4 lakhs. The agency also arrested Divyanshu Kumar Gautam also referred to as Divyanshu Gautam, the co-accused and the accounts and administrative officer in the MCD, red-handed while accepting the bribe. Both were apprehended in a trap laid by the CBI.

According to the CBI, “The INR 4 lakh was allegedly sought from a License Inspector for processing, approving official work in the MCD’s licensing department. A complaint was filed, prompting the CBI to verify the tip-off and lay a trap.”Both Mishra and Gautam were produced before the Rouse Avenue Court in Delhi. The court has granted them to one-day CBI custody for further interrogation.

The CBI acted swiftly after receiving specific inputs about the bribe demand. No further details about the complainant, the exact nature of the “official work,” or any other linked persons have been released yet, as the investigation is ongoing. Officials have described it as a standard anti-corruption operation. This case highlights continued CBI scrutiny of civic bodies in Delhi, especially the MCD, where bribery complaints related to licenses, approvals, and municipal work are not uncommon. A similar MCD assistant engineer case was reported earlier this month.

As of now, both officers remain in custody. The CBI sleuths are investigating the past actions of the accused duo to ascertain whether there were instances of quid pro quo and cases were settled by taking bribes.