Unidentified senior public servant on radar for assuring relief in CBI cases

AN unidentified senior public retainer is among officials below the exchange Bureau of investigating (CBI)’s radio detection and ranging for allegedly seeking ₹3 crore bribe from an accused in a multi-crore counterfeit drug manufacturing racket for “favourable relief” through his contacts and influence in the agency, officials said on Wednesday.The agency arrested Delhi police inspector Pradeep Singh in the bribery case while he was allegedly accepting the first instalment of the bribe. The senior public servant allegedly met with N Raja alias Valliappan, the accused, along with Singh and another intermediary in Delhi.The CBI has been investigating N Raja since March on charges of criminal conspiracy, adulteration of drugs, cheating, and sale of spurious drugs at the Puducherry administration’s recommendation. The Puducherry police and drug control department found manufacturing units making counterfeit drugs of over a dozen brands in September and December last year. Raja is among those who allegedly manufactured and sold such drugs worth several thousand crores throughout the country.The agency registered a fresh case on Monday, naming Singh, Raja, his associate Rajkumar, and “unknown public servants and private persons” based on information that they were facilitating the payment of “illegal gratification” for securing undue relief in the CBI cases, claiming influence over the investigating officers and others connected with the probe.In the first information report (FIR) filed on Monday, a copy of which HT has reviewed, the CBI alleged that Rajkumar acted as an intermediary between Raja and Singh. “On May 14, N Raja and Rajkumar met Pradeep Singh at Aerocity near IGI Airport, New Delhi. Thereafter, Pradeep Singh allegedly escorted both of them to the office of an unidentified senior public servant located in the vicinity and introduced them to him. During the meeting, the said senior public servant allegedly assured N Raja that he could secure favourable relief in the CBI cases through his connections and influence within the CBI,” said the FIR.The FIR cited the CBI probe and said the “senior public servant” agreed to “assist” in the pending CBI cases in exchange for ₹3 crore. It added that he demanded an advance payment of ₹1.5 crore.The FIR said Raja arranged the funds before Rajkumar travelled to Vadodara, where he met Singh to discuss the modalities for the delivery of the bribe amount to the Delhi-based public servants. “Following the meeting, both of them travelled together to Delhi.”The CBI found Raja informed his wife that the advance amount was required to be delivered urgently and instructed her to arrange and keep it ready. He contacted a hawala operator in Chennai and sought his services for transferring ₹1 crore to Delhi as part of the advance bribe payment, the CBI said. The money was to be delivered to Singh in Chandni Chowk on June 8, the agency added.