CBI Arrests PESO Officials in Rs 10 Lakh Bribery Case

New Delhi, Jan 4 (PTI) The CBI on Thursday arrested two deputy chief controllers of explosives posted at Nagpur's Petroleum and Explosive Safety Organisation (PESO) for allegedly receiving Rs 10 lakh bribe from the owner of a Rajasthan-based company, officials said.

The agency arrested Vivek Kumar and Ashok Kumar Dalela, Deputy Chief Controller of Explosive besides Director of Rajasthan-based Super Shivshakti Chemical Pvt. Ltd Devi Singh Kachhawaha and an alleged tout Priyadarshan Dinkar Deshpandey in connection with the case, they said.

The officials said that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) during the searches following the arrest recovered Rs 88 lakh cash from the premises of Kumar in addition to documents.

During searches at Deshpandey's premises, the agency recovered cash of Rs 1.19 crore, gold metal biscuit and silver metal dye besides incriminating documents, they said.

"It was alleged that the tout (Deshpandey) entered into a conspiracy with the officials/officers (Kumar and Dalela) of the PESO to get the work of the bribe giver (Kachhawaha) done in lieu of the huge illegal gratification," said a CBI spokesperson.

"It was further alleged that the said director of a private company would pay a bribe of Rs 10 lakh to the officials of the PESO through a tout at Nagpur," he added.

The CBI spokesperson further said Kachhawaha and Deshpandey were arrested while exchanging the said bribe during the trap operation.

"The role of two deputy chief controllers of explosive emerged and they were also caught," he alleged.