PATNA: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) sleuths apprehended Deputy Superintendent of Police (Dy SP) posted in Patna Branch of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and two middlemen on the charges of obtaining undue advantage for granting favour in the investigation of an ongoing NIA case.
Those apprehended have been identified as Dy SP, NIA, Ajay Pratap Singh and middlemen--Himanshu and Ritik Kumar Singh. Acting on a complaint, the CBI sleuths swung into action and trapped the middlemen closely associated with accused Dy SP while accepting a bribe of Rs 20 lakhs from the complainant instead of providing relief in the investigation of an ongoing NIA case related to Naxal outfit.
Dy SP Ajay Pratap Singh, an Income Tax department official, is currently on deputation in the NIA. A resident of Bihar’s Gaya district approached CBI alleging that Dy SP, NIA (Patna) has been extorting money from him by threatening to fabricate his family in a criminal case and also implicating his family for illegally stocking unlicensed assault weapons.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) had registered a case in connection with this matter and searches were conducted on September 19 at the residence and office of the complainant Rockey Yadav, son of former JD(U) MLC Manorma Devi. Dy SP Ajay Pratap Singh was leading the team which conducted searches at the residence of the former MLC in Gaya and her other locations.
Cash amounting to Rs 4.5 crore was recovered during the search operation, which lasted for more than 24 hours. Following the searches, investigating officer Singh issued a notice on September 24, asking Rockey and others to appear before the NIA office in Patna on September 26. The complainant appeared before the Investigating Officer (IO) on the scheduled date. During interrogation, it was alleged that accused Dy SP threatened the complainant with implicating him in the criminal case and to face severe consequences. To help him escape the consequences, Dy SP Singh allegedly demanded a bribe of Rs 2.5 crore.
Under pressure, complainant allegedly agreed to pay the bribe to protect his family from the false charges. The accused Dy SP asked the complainant to pay an initial instalment of Rs 25 lakh on the same date and provided him with a handwritten note with a middleman’s mobile number.
Subsequently, it was alleged that complainant arranged Rs.25 lakh and directed his relative to deliver the money after contacting the given number. As instructed, the money was delivered to the recipient, who arrived in Aurangabad, Bihar. It was revealed that said the Dy SP was in contact with accused middlemen who along with other accomplices were present in Aurangabad. The bribe money was delivered to the middlemen around 11:30 pm on September 26.
After a couple of days, complainant was once again summoned by the Dy SP to appear before the NIA office in Patna on October 1. The complainant appeared before the Dy SP in his office. The accused allegedly demanded Rs.70 lakh as bribe and asked him to deliver Rs.35 lakh in Patna the same day. He again provided him with a handwritten note containing a mobile number and later, the complainant contacted the given number and requested for some time to arrange the money and assured for the delivery in Gaya on October 3.
The entire matter was also brought to the notice of senior officials of NIA by the CBI team, who also ensured effective supervision of the matter along with the CBI team. Hence, in effective coordination with NIA, a regular case under sections 7,12 of PC Act (As amended in 2018) read with Section 308(6) and Section 61(2) of Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita was registered on October 3 against said Dy SP NIA and two middlemen and some unknown others.
Searches are being conducted at several places in Gaya, Patna and Varanasi and investigation of the case is in progress. Several incriminating documents and digital devices have been recovered so far during the searches in addition to Rs 20 lakhs accepted by the accused as a bribe.
