Punjab Vigilance Chief Denies Fleeing as CBI Raids Bureau Over Bribery Scandal
Sharad Satya Chauhan, the Chief Director of the Punjab Vigilance Bureau, has denied media reports suggesting he is on the run, confirming his presence at the bureau's Mohali headquarters while Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) teams conduct ongoing raids. The investigation centers on a bribery racket involving Chauhan’s personal reader, Inspector O P Rana, who was allegedly caught accepting Rs 14 lakh in cash at a Chandigarh hotel. Chauhan, a senior IPS officer and contender for the Director General of Police post, stated that the bureau will fully cooperate with the CBI. The probe, initiated by an FIR registered on May 11, examines allegations that officials and middlemen demanded bribes between Rs 20-25 lakh to settle cases. While Rana has not been formally arrested, one alleged middleman, Raghav Goyal, is in custody. The scandal has triggered political criticism, particularly from the Congress party, highlighting the irony of corruption within the state's anti-corruption agency. The CBI has seized cash, documents, and electronic devices, with further arrests expected as the inquiry expands to include other potential accomplices, including a woman police officer.
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Punjab Vigilance Chief Denies Fleeing as CBI Raids Bureau Over Bribery Scandal
Sharad Satya Chauhan, the Chief Director of the Punjab Vigilance Bureau, has denied media reports suggesting he is on the run, confirming his presence at the bureau's Mohali headquarters while Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) teams conduct ongoing raids. The investigation centers on a bribery racket involving Chauhan’s personal reader, Inspector O P Rana, who was allegedly caught accepting Rs 14 lakh in cash at a Chandigarh hotel. Chauhan, a senior IPS officer and contender for the Director General of Police post, stated that the bureau will fully cooperate with the CBI. The probe, initiated by an FIR registered on May 11, examines allegations that officials and middlemen demanded bribes between Rs 20-25 lakh to settle cases. While Rana has not been formally arrested, one alleged middleman, Raghav Goyal, is in custody. The scandal has triggered political criticism, particularly from the Congress party, highlighting the irony of corruption within the state's anti-corruption agency. The CBI has seized cash, documents, and electronic devices, with further arrests expected as the inquiry expands to include other potential accomplices, including a woman police officer.
The Indian Express