The Central Bureau of Investigation has filed a charge sheet against two of its officials for allegedly helping a Mumbai-based businessman get relief in a corruption case. One of the accused was the investigating officer.
The two have been identified as CBI Additional Superintendent of Police Rohit Srivastava and the then inspector Rabindra Pradhan, who has been repatriated to his parent cadre Border Security Force. The agency has invoked various provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act and the Indian Penal Code.
The private persons named in the charge sheet are Neeraj Raja Kochar, owner of Mumbai-based Viraj Profiles, and Rakesh Tiwari, a caterer at the Palika Service Officers’ Institute (PSOI) in Chanakyapuri, who earlier ran the CBI headquarters’ canteen.
Criminal conspiracy
“Investigation has established that Mr. Tiwari, Mr. Kochar and the two officials were allegedly part of a criminal conspiracy. The two CBI officials allegedly provided case-related information and relief to the accused person in the case,” said an agency spokesperson.
It is alleged that Mr. Kochar had paid ₹85 lakh in three instalments to the caterer to get the job done. “The accused CBI officials received illegal gratification in return,” said the official.
Mr. Kochar is a co-accused in a disproportionate assets case registered in July last year against Indian Revenue Service officer Vivek Batra, who was earlier posted in the Mumbai’s Income Tax Department.