Pune, February 7: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested an Assistant Garrison Engineer and a Junior Engineer from the Military Engineering Services (MES) in Khadki, Pune, for allegedly demanding and accepting bribes from a complainant.
The accused have been identified as Assistant Garrison Engineer Sunil Nikam and Junior Engineer Suresh Mhaskey.
Based on a complaint filed on February 3, the CBI registered a case against both officials. The complaint alleged that they were demanding a bribe of ₹600,000. The complainant holds a power of attorney for a private company that is working on a contract with the MES. Despite completing the work and submitting the completion certificate, payment was withheld, and the complainant was pressured to pay a bribe.
According to the CBI, after negotiations, the accused officials agreed to reduce the bribe amount to ₹200,000, which was to be taken as the first installment.
On February 5, the CBI set a trap and caught the Junior Engineer red-handed while accepting ₹200,000 in bribes from the complainant. The cash was recovered from his office. The Assistant Garrison Engineer was also arrested for his role in the conspiracy.
During searches at the residences and offices of the accused, the CBI seized important documents along with ₹188,500 in unaccounted cash. The investigation into this case is ongoing.
Earlier, the CBI had registered an FIR against a retired superintendent and two inspectors in a serious bribery case. This case was filed on February 3 based on a complaint from the Additional Commissioner of CGST in Guwahati.
The accused officers were allegedly abusing their positions while stationed with the Customs Preventive Force (CPF) in Champhai, Mizoram. During the 2022-2023 period, they seized smuggled goods such as betel nuts and cigarettes without any documentation or legal process, demanding illegal bribes from the concerned parties. They reportedly accepted over ₹3.5 million in bribes before releasing the seized items.