CHANDIGARH: The name of 1992-batch IPS officer of the Punjab cadre, Sharad Satya Chauhan, presently posted as DG-cum-Chief Director of the Punjab Vigilance Bureau, figures in the FIR registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the alleged Rs 13-lakh corruption case involving his reader and three others.
However, he has not been named as an accused. The development could add to his troubles in the coming days, as he was considered one of the contenders for the post of Punjab DGP.
As per the CBI verification report dated May 11, prepared after the FIR was registered on May 8, “the accused Raghav Goyal and Vikas Goyal had allegedly demanded Rs 13 lakh from the complainant on behalf of public servants, namely OP Rana, Reader to DG (Vigilance), Punjab, and DG (Vigilance), Punjab, for facilitating closure of the complaint pending against complainant Amit Kumar in the office of DG (Vigilance), Punjab.”
The FIR registered on May 11 by the Anti-Corruption Bureau of the CBI further read, “A written complaint was received from State Tax Officer Amit Kumar, a resident of Abohar, on May 8, alleging that Raghav Goyal and his father Vikas Goyal, private contractors, were acting as intermediaries on behalf of Sharad Satya Chauhan, DG (Vigilance), Punjab, and his reader OP Rana, and had demanded illegal gratification for securing closure/disposal of a complaint allegedly pending against him in the said office.”
The accused named in the FIR are OP Rana, reader to the DG (Vigilance), Vikas Goyal and his son Raghav Goyal, residents of Malout, along with unknown public and private persons.
The suspected offences under investigation include criminal conspiracy, demand of undue advantage by a public servant, and obtaining undue advantage to influence a public servant through corrupt or illegal means or by exercise of personal influence.
The FIR states that on May 8, a complaint was received from Amit Kumar of Abohar in Fazilka district alleging that Raghav and Vikas Goyal were acting as intermediaries on behalf of Chauhan and his reader Rana. Kumar alleged that the accused demanded illegal gratification for facilitating closure of a complaint allegedly pending against him in the Vigilance Bureau office.
It added that during verification, it was found that the accused had allegedly demanded Rs 13 lakh from the complainant on behalf of public servants, namely OP Rana and DG (Vigilance) Sharad Satya Chauhan, for facilitating closure of the complaint. Apart from the money, a mobile phone was allegedly sought for Rana as part of the illegal gratification.
The complaint was assigned to Arun Ahlawat, Inspector of the Anti-Corruption Branch of the CBI, for verification.
“The complaint and subsequent verification report dated May 11 prima facie disclose the commission of offences punishable under Section 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, and Sections 7 and 7A of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, against Rana, Raghav Goyal, Vikas Goyal and unknown public/private persons,” the FIR read.
SS Chauhan is a 1992-batch IPS officer of the Punjab cadre and is among the frontrunners for the post of Director General of Police, for which the state government has recently sent a panel of officers to the Union Public Service Commission.