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The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested the Chief Mechanical Engineer of Odisha-based Paradip Port Trust and three private persons over bribery charges and recovered Rs 84.5 lakh, an official statement said on Friday.
A case was registered against Chief Mechanical Engineer and others including private persons, a private company and unknown others, CBI said in a press statement. It was alleged that the Chief Mechanical Engineer of Paradip Port Trust was in the habit of demanding and accepting bribes through his close conduit for extending undue benefits to various private stakeholders engaged in port service and activities at Paradip Port. The said conduit of CME was in close contact with the Manager of Port operations also allegedly acting as a middleman with other Cargo companies of a private group of companies and other persons. The cost of repairing/replacement of the conveyor belt was very high. The said CME in conspiracy with conduit, middleman and Director of the said private company got it repaired at the cost of Port Trust causing a huge monetary advantage to said private company, the press statement stated. In turn, the conduit allegedly demanded Rs 60 lakh as a bribe for the said favour, allegedly on behalf of CME. Accordingly, he collected the bribe amount of Rs 25 lakh from Cuttack and kept Rs 10 lakh separately for themselves. It was also alleged that the conduit handed over Rs 10 lakh to a real estate developer in Bhubaneshwar, with whom the Chief Mechanical Engineer had allegedly booked a property. CBI intercepted the said conduit in Paradip and recovered Rs 5 lakh of the alleged bribe money from him. Later, Rs 18.30 lakh also as part of the alleged bribe was recovered. During further searches, Rs 20.25 lakh (approx.), jewellery, documents related to investment and other incriminating documents were recovered from the residence of the Chief Mechanical Engineer. Searches were also conducted at 15 locations including in Paradip, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur & Bhubaneshwar at the premises of the accused. Rs 41 lakh (approx.) was recovered from the premises of the Director of a said private company, the release said. The arrested accused will be produced today before the Competent Court. (ANI)
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