The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed 11 corruption cases against 15 officers from the Pay and Accounts (ORS) section of the Artillery and Army Aviation Centre (AAC) in Nashik. The officers, working under the Controller General of Defence Accounts (CGDA) of the Ministry of Defence, are accused of soliciting and accepting bribes from army personnel to process pay entitlements and allowances.
The alleged irregularities were uncovered during a Joint Surprise Check conducted on November 13, 2024, at the Nashik office. The inspection was carried out in the presence of independent witnesses and officials from the Principal Controller of Defence Accounts (PCDA), Pune, on the instructions of CGDA’s vigilance unit in New Delhi.
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Sources in the CBI said the agency had received credible intelligence indicating that staff responsible for managing the financial records of Artillery and Army Aviation personnel were collecting bribes to either expedite legitimate entitlements or process ineligible claims. Investigations have been launched to verify these claims.
During the surprise check, investigators reportedly retrieved key evidence, including WhatsApp messages from the mobile phones of some accused officers. These chats allegedly show instances of bribe demands and illegal transactions in exchange for official favours. The seized devices are currently in the custody of the CGDA’s Vigilance Department for further analysis. The accused include auditors and assistant accounts officers posted at the CGDA office in Nashik. Investigators suspect these officials worked in collusion with unidentified personnel from the Artillery and AAC Record Office to tamper with “Casualty” (Daily Part-II) orders—essential documents used to determine soldiers’ pay and benefits.
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On Tuesday, CBI teams carried out searches at multiple locations associated with the suspects, including properties in Mumbai, Pune, Nashik, Ahmedabad, Fatehabad, and Nagpur. The raids aimed to gather more documentary and digital evidence to support the case. This development marks a significant step in the ongoing efforts to root out corruption within defence financial services and ensure transparency in the disbursement of armed forces personnel entitlements.