CBI officials grill Prabath Kumar

HYDERABAD: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officials, who arrested a person Prabhath Kumar for allegedly transporting cash through Hawala in New Delhi, are grilling the accused to establish role of businessman in approaching city based hawala gangs to transfer cash from Hyderabad to New Delhi.

Sources told Express that the investigation officer (IO) of agency is understood to have obtained a WhatsApp message in which ‘code language’ was received by Prabhath Kumar hours before trying to deliver `5 lakh cash to a NTPC senior officer based on directions of city-based hawala gang members.

“Prabhath Kumar is being grilled on certain information received by the CBI regarding hawala transactions that took place few days ago. During the questioning, the agency made an attempt to establish the connection with the Delhi and Hyderabad hawala operators with the assistance of Prabhath Kumar and who directed the accused to deliver the cash to NTPC senior officials from Hyderabad and Delhi,’’ sources said. Sources said that in June, 2017, the CBI officials registered cases against the Hyderabad based Army officer Purshottam and others for transporting cash of `5 lakh to Delhi to hand over the same to some senior officers as bribery.

In the case, the CBI identified two hawala operators Sunil and Rahul in Delhi and the accused have connection with Hyderabad based hawala gang members. Sunil, resident of Hyderabad, had played a key role in directing Rahul in Delhi to hand over cash. The Hyderabad based hawala racket came to light in June when CBI officials exposed bribery incident took place by the Army officials. At the time, the CBI obtained leads about hawala gang members operating from Hyderabad in transporting cash to other states in the country.

With the CBI officials keeping close vigil on the hawala racket illegal activities, the latest incident of NTPC director Kulamani Biswas who received cash by hawala from Hyderabad based Mining company director Rohit Reddy’s directions, has came to light.

“The CBI will get leads from Prabhath Kumar about the case. Based on his confessional statements, the agency will take further action,’’ CBI officials said.  

The CBI officials registered cases against the NTPC, New Delhi Director (Finance), Kulamani Biswal, Hyderabad based BGR Mining and Infra Private Limited director Rohit Reddy Bathina, private person Prabhat Kumar for allegedly transporting cash by hawala.