Chandigarh: CBI arrests five in graft case

CHANDIGARH: The Central Bureau of Investigation has arrested five persons inclyding a deputy chief labour commissioner and labour enforcement officer, both posted at Chandigarh, two partners of a Bathinda based private HR Solutions firm and an employee of a private construction company in a bribery case.
The accused are identified as Mahesh Chand Sharma, deputy chief labour commissioner, Chandigarh, Vivek Naik, labour enforcement officer, Chandigarh, Gurmeet Sidhu & Munish Garg, partners of M/s Advantage HR Solutions, Bathinda, and Akhandraj Singh, an employee of M/s Nagarjuna Construction Company, Rama Mandi, Bathinda.They all were produced in special court of CBI from where they were sent to three days of CBI custody.
CBI prosecutor KP Singh had demanded five days of custody of accused stating that CBI wanted to know the role of other firms in this matter. Also it was argued that role of other senior public servants is under CBI radar and it wanted to interrogate them. Also it was mentioned that CBI had been doing surveillance of telephonic conversation among all the accused and it wanted to scrutinize the call records to fetch more information.
Interestingly CBI laid this trap after tapping phone calls. CBI had registered a case under section 120(B) and sections 7 & 12 of PC(Amendment) Act, 2018 against the accused persons on the allegations of transaction of bribe money between the accused persons, i.e. labour enforcement officer, Chandigarh, and both partners of the Bathinda based private firm. Accordingly, CBI reached the location and caught both partners of the said Bathinda based private firm, for giving a bribe of Rs 1,30,000 to the said enforcement officer, who accepted the alleged bribe on behalf of the deputy chief labour commissioner, Chandigarh. It was further alleged that the bribe was offered and demanded in lieu of issuance of a favourable report to a private construction company and for issuance of NOC in favour of a few other private firms located at Bathinda. It was also alleged that the private persons were acting as middlemen between various private industrialists/businessmen/private contractors and the said public servants, by negotiating and collecting illegal gratification in lieu of extending favours to them by facilitating relief in the matters of inspections carried out in their business/industrial establishments.
Searches were conducted at the official and residential premises of the accused, which led to recovery of documents.
Role
Mahesh Chand Sharma and Vivek Naik:
Indulged into corrupt and illegal activities in connivance with other law enforcement officers and private persons acting as conduits on behalf of them at Bathinda. Also alleged that these above said conduits were collecting Rs 35,000 approx each from private parties on quarterly basis for not taking any action and manipulate and violate mandatory provisions relating to compliance of EPF and labour laws.
Gurmeet Sidhu and Munish Garg:
Both private persons were engaged in liasioning activities in the garb of their consultancy firm M/S Advantage HR Solutions located at Bathinda.
Akhandraj Singh, an employee of M/s Nagarjuna Construction Company:
Vivek Naik on May 8, 2019 conducted inspection at premises of Nagarjuna Construction Company and found certain irregularities in their record, on that day Akandraj Singh informed Gurmeet Sidhu that despite paying Rs 30,000 on quarterly basis, inspection has been carried out by Vivek Naik and during inspections their records were checked and insisted that related person of management should meet Vivek Naik personally. On 15 may, 2019 Gurmeet Singh contacted Vivek Naik and discussed what should be done in the matter and also discussed collection of illegal gratification by Vivek on quaretly basis. Later Gurmeet Singh collected bribe money from GM of Nagarjuna Construction Company to bribe Vivek Naik on behalf of Mahesh Chand Sharma.
CBI trap
The source had informed CBI that bribe money was to be collected by Vivek Naik on behalf of Mahesh Chand Sharma. Since transaction of bribe was likely to take place on May 30, 2019 at Hotel Western Court, Sector 10, Panchkula. The CBI officials took convenient positions in dining area of the hotel. The source through a gesture informed the team about accused persons namely Gurmeet Sidhu, Munish Garg, Vivek Naik along with one more person.
They all moved out of hotel and reached the parking area. Gurmeet Singh took out a packet from his pocket and gave it to Vivek Naik who accepted the same. Later Vivek Naik called up Mahesh Chand sharma which showed his involvement in this. CBI later caught them red handed.