New Delhi [India], March 23 : The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested three accused, including the Chief Engineer and Executive Engineer of the Public Works Department (PWD), Government of Puducherry, along with a private contractor associated with PWD, immediately after the exchange of a partial bribe amount of Rs 2 lakh, the agency said in a release on Sunday.
An amount of Rs 73 lakh in cash was recovered during searches, it said.
On Saturday, CBI registered a case against the accused and unknown others based on allegations that the Executive Engineer, under whose jurisdiction the contractor had undertaken road contract works in the Public Works Department, Karaikal, demanded a bribe of Rs 6 lakh.
Approximately 1 per cent of the total estimated tender amount of Rs 7,44,59,009, for the Chief Engineer to facilitate future site clearance and payment approval without delay, said the statement.
As per the statement, CBI laid a trap and apprehended the accused after the Executive Engineer accepted Rs. 2 lakh from the contractor in the presence of the Chief Engineer. The sum was recovered from the possession of the Executive Engineer, while an additional Rs. 50,000 was found in the contractor's vehicle.
Searches at the residential and official premises of the accused in Puducherry and Karaikal led to the recovery of Rs. 73 lahks in cash Rs. 65 lahks from the Chief Engineer's residence and Rs.8 lakh from the Executive Engineer's residence--along with incriminating documents and other evidence.
The arrested accused were produced before Judicial Magistrate I, Karaikal, on Sunday and were remanded to judicial custody.
The investigation remains ongoing.