ONGOLE: CBI officials on Tuesday arrested U Siva Sankar, Deputy Director of Mines Safety (DDMS), at a hotel in Ongole for allegedly accepting a Rs 2 lakh bribe from representatives of granite companies based in Chimakurthy.
The CBI also detained five others, including representatives of the granite companies who allegedly paid the bribe, and reportedly shifted them to Vijayawada for inquiry. Officials were yet to release full details of the operation.
According to sources, Siva Sankar had inspected granite quarries in Ballikurava in Prakasam district on Monday. He was scheduled to inspect the Vasavi and Golden Granite quarries in Chimakurthy on Tuesday.
Sources said Siva Sankar had allegedly reached an understanding with representatives of the granite companies over the inspections. Acting on information that the representatives would meet him at a hotel to hand over the bribe, CBI officials conducted a raid in the early hours of Tuesday and allegedly caught Siva Sankar with the cash.