Patna: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered a fresh case against Sanjeev Hans, an IAS officer of the Bihar cadre, over allegations of accepting a Rs 1 crore bribe in connection with proceedings at a national consumer body.
According to media reports, the Delhi unit of the agency has filed a first information report naming eight accused, including Hans, in a case involving alleged bribery to secure a favourable outcome at the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC).
The other accused include Vipul Bansal, Anubhav Agarwal, Pushpraj Bajaj, Shadab Khan, Devendra Singh Anand, Mukul Bansal and an unidentified individual linked to a real estate firm, East and West Builders.
Investigators allege that Hans, who previously served as private secretary to the then Union minister for consumer affairs, conspired with others to demand and accept the bribe from promoters of the builder in exchange for influencing proceedings at the commission.
The CBI claims that a meeting was facilitated between Hans and Agarwal, a promoter associated with the RNA Group, during which an agreement was reached to pay Rs 1 crore. In return, Hans allegedly assisted in fixing favourable hearing dates and intervened to help avert the arrest of one of the promoters.
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The agency has alleged that the payment was made in instalments through a combination of bank transfers and hawala transactions. It said Rs 16 lakh was transferred electronically on August 8, 2019, while Rs 25 lakh and the remaining amount were routed through hawala channels.
The roles of some of the accused, including Shadab Khan and Pushpraj Bajaj, are being examined in relation to the movement of funds and coordination of transactions.
Officials said the accused allegedly used coded communication to discuss the transactions and conceal their activities.
The case has been registered under charges of criminal conspiracy, provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act and other relevant sections. The investigation is ongoing.
