Lucknow: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested two postal department officials in Uttar Pradesh’s Jalaun district for allegedly demanding and accepting bribes.
The arrested officials are:
- Prateek Bhargava, Sub-Divisional Inspector (SDI), Sub-Division Post Office, Konch, Jalaun
- Aamir Hasan, Branch Post Master, Chandurra Post Office, Jalaun
Allegations of Bribery
According to the CBI, a case was registered on December 15 based on a complaint. The complaint alleged that the officials had demanded an illegal gratification of Rs 15,000 from the complainant.
This bribe was demanded for:
- Relieving the complainant after a transfer order,
- Processing the salary for the month of October,
- Re-verification of the caste certificate.
Previous Extortion
The complaint also alleged that SDI Prateek Bhargava had previously extorted Rs 5,000 from the complainant through threats and coercion.
After negotiations, the total bribe amount was settled at Rs 12,500, of which SDI Bhargava had allegedly already taken Rs 2,500.
CBI Trap and Arrest
Based on the complaint, the CBI laid a trap on Tuesday, December 16, and apprehended both the accused red-handed while accepting the remaining bribe of Rs 5,000.
The CBI stated that the trap operation is ongoing and further investigation into the matter is underway.
CBI’s Recent Crackdown
It is noteworthy that a few days ago, the CBI had arrested a branch manager and a contractual employee of the Durvasa branch of UP Gramin Bank in Azamgarh district for allegedly accepting bribes in exchange for Kisan Credit Card (KCC) loans.
The CBI is continuously investigating cases of bribery, and those found guilty face penalties such as imprisonment and heavy fines.