The Central Bureau of Investigation on Friday arrested Arun Goyal, Accountant General, Tamil Nadu, and S.M.R. Gajendran, Senior Accounts Officer in the office of the Accountant General, Chennai, for allegedly demanding and accepting a bribe of ₹5.5 lakh. Two others were also arrested in the case.
CBI teams conducted searches at the offices and residences of the accused. Acting on specific information, the Anti-Corruption Branch laid a ‘trap’ at the office of the Accountant General on Friday evening.
The allegation is that Mr. Goyal and Mr. Gajendran demanded ₹5.5 lakh as bribe for posting S. Sivalingam as Divisional Accountant in the Public Works Department (PWD), Villupuram district — a post that comes under the purview of the Accountant General, Tamil Nadu.
L.S. Raja, a PWD employee who had acquaintance with Mr. Gajendran, was facilitating the posting.
Official confesses
After making sure that the bribe was paid, CBI officers intercepted the accused. Mr. Sivalingam confessed to having paid the money. While ₹3 lakh was recovered from the chamber of the Accountant General, ₹2 lakh was found in the table drawer of Mr. Gajendran, officers said.
The CBI, Jaipur branch, was asked to search the premises of Mr. Goyal in his native State of Rajasthan. All four accused were booked under the provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, and arrested by the CBI.
