CHANDIGARH: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday arrested a 2012-batch Haryana cadre IPS officer for allegedly accepting a bribe in connection with the Puducherry counterfeit medicine racket case.
According to sources, the officer, Deepak Gahlawat, is currently on central deputation and is posted as a Regional Director with the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
The agency said the arrest followed the registration of a case on June 8 against a Delhi Police inspector and two private persons.
“The CBI had registered a case on June 8 against an Inspector in Delhi Police and two other private persons. During investigation, it was disclosed that the said IPS officer had demanded illegal gratification, claiming that he could exercise his personal influence and obtain relief for private persons in the cases being investigated by CBI in relation to the sale of counterfeit drugs in Puducherry,” the agency said.
The CBI said it had earlier arrested the Delhi Police inspector along with six other persons, leading to the recovery of approximately Rs 25 lakh as trap money and Rs 90 lakh in cash, besides other incriminating documents seized during the investigation.
The agency said searches were conducted at multiple premises linked to the IPS officer, during which digital devices, hard disks and documents were seized. The investigation is underway.
Sources said the officer was identified during the probe, following which his department was informed. He was summoned and questioned on multiple occasions before being arrested.
Investigators are also probing his alleged role and contacts within the investigating agency. According to sources, the officer allegedly told the main accused, N Raja, that he could “arrange” relief in the CBI cases through his “connections” within the agency.
He allegedly demanded a bribe and accepted part of the payment after promising to secure relief.
The FIR registered on June 8 names N Raja alias Valliappan alias Rajasekhar, Delhi Police Crime Branch Inspector Pradeep Kumar Singh, Rajkumar alias Madhanraj, and unknown public servants and private individuals.
The CBI alleged that Raja arranged a hawala payment of Rs 1 crore. The arrested inspector allegedly received the money and handed it over to one Prabhat, described as an acquaintance of an IPS officer, while retaining Rs 25 lakh at his residence.
The agency said Singh and Rajkumar were arrested with Rs 24.70 lakh, which it described as the first instalment of a larger payoff. According to the FIR, Raja and Rajkumar met Singh at Aerocity on May 14.
Singh allegedly escorted them to the office of an unidentified senior public servant, who allegedly assured Raja of favourable relief in the CBI cases.
The FIR further alleges that on May 16, Raja told his wife that the public servant had agreed to help in return for Rs 3 crore and had sought an advance of Rs 1.5 crore. Sources said Singh allegedly facilitated the payments made by the accused in an attempt to secure undue relief in the CBI cases.
