NEW DELHI: The Central Bureau of Investigation has arrested Pawan Baid, Director of M/s. ABCI Infrastructures Pvt. Ltda based at Guwahati relating to a case of Rs. One crore bribery paid allegedly to the relative of CAO/Construction-II, Northeast Frontier Railways. The accused was absconding since 17.01.2021 and was not joining the investigation. Subsequently, a Non-Bailable Warrant was issued on 23.01.2021 against the said accused by the Special Judge CBI Cases, New Delhi. Various places of hiding of accused situated at Guwahati, Araria (Bihar), Siliguri, New Delhi, etc. were identified, searched and he was apprehended from Delhi.
The arrested accused is being produced today before the Designated Court at Delhi.
It may be noted that CBI has registered a case against a Senior Railway Officer - Chief Administrative Officer/Construction-II, North East Frontier Railways, Maligaon (Assam) & others including a Deputy Chief Engineer, NFR; an Assistant Executive Engineer (AEN), NFR; a Director & an employee of a private company based at Guwahati; a private person and unknown others, under relevant sections of IPC and PC Act. It was alleged that the accused were abusing their official position for obtaining illegal gratification. It was also alleged that some senior public functionaries of North East Frontier Railways were involved in corrupt practices with private contractors for the on-going projects in the North-East Frontier Railways. The contractors were allegedly being facilitated in awarding the processing of the contract of subsequent bills, the release of payments, etc. by the public functionaries in lieu of illegal gratifications.
CBI has earlier arrested a Chief Administrative Officer (a Senior Railway Officer), Construction-II, North East Frontier Railway(NFR), Maligaon (Assam); a Deputy Chief Engineer, NFR, Agartala; an Assistant Executive Engineer, N.F. Railway(NFR), Agartala(Tripura); an employee of a private company based at Guwahati (Assam) and a private person(a relative of CAO, North-East Frontier Railway) in the instant case.
During earlier searches at 26 locations, including at Delhi, Uttarakhand, Assam, Tripura and West Bengal, a total amount of Rs. 4.43 crore (approx.) was recovered. This includes an alleged bribe of Rs. One crore, which exchanged hands-on 17.01.2021.
The investigation is continuing.