The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has charged its own Deputy Superintendent of Police, Joy Joseph Damle, with accepting a bribe of ₹5 lakh. Damle, who works in the Anti-Corruption Bureau in Jabalpur, allegedly took the money in exchange for a favorable report on senior officials of Northern Coalfields Limited (NCL), which is currently under investigation.
CBI Charges Multiple Under Prevention Of Corruption Act
In addition to Damle, the CBI has arrested several individuals, including Subedar Ojha, Manager and Secretary to NCL’s Chairman and Managing Director, Ravi Shankar Singh, Director of M/s Sangam Engineering in Singrauli, and retired Colonel Basant Kumar Singh, the Chief Manager of Administration at NCL. They are all facing charges under the Prevention of Corruption Act, of 1988.
Rs. 3.85 Crore Seized From Subadar Ojha’s Residence
The CBI conducted searches on August 17 at multiple locations, including Singrauli, Jabalpur, and Noida. During these searches, they seized digital devices and important documents. Most notably, they recovered ₹3.85 crore from Ojha’s residence. The CBI claims this money was obtained through bribery from various contractors and officials in exchange for favors related to their operations at NCL.
Ravi Shankar Singh Acted As Middleman
The investigation revealed that Ravi Shankar Singh acted as a middleman in a bribery scheme. Singh allegedly collected bribe money from contractors and officials and funneled it to Damle to influence the ongoing investigations against NCL. The CBI also reported that Singh had requested a sub-inspector in Jabalpur, Kamal Singh, to provide an address for delivering a mobile phone to Damle, which was later used in the scheme.
Kamal Singh Instructed To Collect Rs. 5 Lakh As Bribe
On August 14, Ravi Shankar Singh instructed Kamal Singh to collect ₹5 lakh from Colonel Basant Kumar Singh or his associate, which was meant as a bribe for Damle. Despite initial hesitation, alternative arrangements were made, leading to the bribe being collected by Ajay Verma, an employee of Sangam Engineering, and delivered to Jabalpur. On August 16, Diwesh Singh, another associate of Ravi Shankar, was caught red-handed delivering the ₹5 lakh bribe to Damle in Jabalpur. This arrest was part of a larger operation where the CBI also seized large sums of money from various individuals involved.