Following these searches, as Investigating officer, said the Deputy SP issued a notice on September 24, 2024, summoning the complainant to appear before the NIA office Patna on September 26, 2024. . (Representational image)
The CBI team trapped the middlemen closely associated with accused Deputy SP Ajay Pratap Singh accepting a bribe of Rs 20 lakhs from the complainant in the case
The CBI has apprehended a Deputy SP of NIA’s Patna Branch and two others in connection with allegations of obtaining undue advantage for granting favour in investigation of an ongoing case.
The CBI team trapped the middlemen closely associated with accused Deputy SP Ajay Pratap Singh accepting a bribe of Rs 20 lakhs from the complainant in the case.
A complainant approached the CBI alleging that said the official has been extorting money from him by threatening to fabricate his family in a criminal case and falsely implicating his family for illegally stocking unlicensed assault weapons. It was disclosed that the National Investigation Agency (NIA) had registered a case in connection with this matter and searches were conducted on September 19, 2024 at the residence and office of the complainant.
Following these searches, as Investigating officer, said the Deputy SP issued a notice on September 24, 2024, summoning the complainant to appear before the NIA office Patna on September 26, 2024.
During interrogation, it was alleged that accused deputy SP threatened the complainant with implicating him in the criminal case and to face severe consequences. In order to help him escape the consequences, the official allegedly demanded a bribe of Rs 2.5 crore.
Under pressure, complainant allegedly agreed to pay the bribe to protect his family from the false charges. Accused deputy SP asked complainant to pay an initial instalment of Rs 25 lakh on the same day September 26, 2024 and provided him with a handwritten note with a middleman’s mobile number.
Subsequently, it was alleged that complainant arranged Rs 25 lakh and directed his relative to deliver the money after contacting the given number. As instructed, the money was delivered to the recipient, who arrived in Aurangabad, Bihar.
It was revealed that the deputy SP was in contact with accused middlemen who along with another middlemen were present in Aurangabad, Bihar, around 11:30 PM on the day of incident September 26, 2024, corroborating the reported delivery of the bribe.
After a couple of days, complainant was once again summoned by the deputy SP to appear before the NIA office Patna on October 1.
The complainant appeared before the deputy SP in his office on given date. A demand was then made for a bribe of Rs 70 Lakh, with a direction to deliver Rs 35 Lakh on the same day at Patna.
Accused Deputy SP again provided him with a handwritten note containing a mobile number and later, the complainant contacted the given number and requested for some time to arrange the money and assured for the delivery on October 3 at Gaya.
In coordination with NIA, a case under section 7,12 of PC Act (As amended in 2018) read with Section 308(6) & Section 61(2)of Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita was registered on October 3 against said deputy SP of NIA and two middlemen and unknown others.
Searches are being conducted at several places in Gaya, Patna and Varanasi and investigation of the case is in progress. Several incriminating documents and digital devices have been recovered so far during the searches in addition to Rs 20 Lakhs bribe money.
