CBI arrests Rajouri food safety official for taking Rs 10,000 bribe from shopkeeper

Jammu, Aug 26 (IANS) The CBI arrested an Assistant Commissioner, Food Safety, in Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir for demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 10,000 from a shopkeeper, an official said on Tuesday.

Assistant Commissioner Sanjeev Bali, Drug and Food Control Organisation, Department of Health, was arrested on the complaint of Avineet Mehta, a resident of Rajouri.

Bali was arrested while demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 10,000 to refrain from collecting samples from Mehta’s shop and to grant an exemption from inspections for a year so that the complainant could run his business without any problem, the CBI said.

The probe agency registered the case on August 25 and laid a trap to catch the official red-handed while accepting the bribe.

The CBI also searched the residential premises of Bali, which led to the recovery of incriminating documents, including documents relating to the acquisition of immovable properties worth more than Rs 1.5 crore.

On receiving a complaint from Mehta, a resident of Ward No. 7 near Rajouri Head Post Office, the CBI referred the matter for verification.

A CBI report prepared after preliminary verification of the complaint said, “The complaint and the verification report, prima facie, reveal commission of offence punishable under section 7 of Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 by the accused.”

“Hence, a regular case is registered against Sanjeev Bali, Assistant Commissioner Food Safety, and Food Control Organisation, District Rajouri… for investigation,” said the report.

In a separate case in New Delhi, the CBI arrested a Head Constable of Delhi Police while accepting a bribe of Rs 1 lakh in exchange for not registering an FIR against the complainant, an official said on Tuesday.

Head Constable Rajkumar Meena, posted at Police Station Ashok Vihar, was booked on Monday, the official said.

It was alleged that a Sub-Inspector (SI) and the accused Head Constable demanded Rs 3 lakh from the complainant for not registering an FIR against him.

After negotiation, the accused Head Constable agreed to accept a bribe of Rs 2 lakh from the complainant for closing the complaint pending against him.

Meena was arrested while accepting a Rs 1 lakh as part payment on Monday, the CBI said in a statement.

The Head-Constable was taken into custody after the federal probe agency laid a trap and caught him red-handed while demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs one lakh from the complainant as part-payment.

--IANS

rch/dan