Patna: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has taken major action in a bribery case linked to the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI). The agency arrested four individuals, including Ram Preet Paswan, General Manager of NHAI, and Suresh Mahapatra, General Manager of Ram Kripal Singh Construction Company, in Patna. The arrests took place after a bribe of Rs. 15 lakh was exchanged for processing and passing bills related to NHAI contracts.
CBI had registered a case on March 22 against 12 accused, including six public servants from NHAI, senior officials from a private company, and other individuals. It was alleged that NHAI officials were colluding with the private company representatives to facilitate undue advantages in return for illegal gratification. The bribery exchange was set to take place near the NHAI GM’s residence in Patna, where the CBI laid a trap and caught the accused red-handed.
Following the arrests, CBI conducted searches at multiple locations, including Patna, Muzaffarpur, Samastipur, Begusarai, Purnia, Ranchi, and Varanasi. During the operation, officials recovered Rs. 1.18 crore in cash along with several incriminating documents and digital evidence. The investigation is still ongoing, and further actions are expected.
The accused have been taken into custody, and CBI is examining the seized materials to identify further links in the corruption network. This crackdown highlights the agency’s ongoing efforts to combat corruption in government contracts and public infrastructure projects.
