Ranchi: The Central Bureau of Investigation’s Anti-Corruption Branch has arrested three officers posted at the Regional Pay and Accounts Office (RPAO) of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) in Ranchi for allegedly accepting a bribe of ₹48,400.
The arrested officials have been identified as senior accounts officer Santosh Kumar Mahto and assistant accounts officers Sunil Kumar and Sujit Singh. Following the arrests, CBI teams conducted searches at five premises linked to the accused in Ranchi and Dhanbad.
CBI Acts on Complaint Over Bribe Demand
According to the CBI, the action was initiated on the basis of a complaint filed by head constable Ravikant Tripathi, posted at the CISF NTPC unit in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh.
The complainant alleged that the three accounts officers were demanding bribes in exchange for processing and facilitating the payment of various pending bills. These included travel allowance (TA), children’s education allowance (CEA) and other claims submitted by personnel of the unit.
Verification Leads to Anti-Corruption Case
After receiving the complaint, the CBI conducted a verification of the allegations. Following the verification, the agency found sufficient grounds to proceed with the case.
The CBI obtained the necessary consent from the Jharkhand government and registered a case on August 26 under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Prevention of Corruption Act.
CISF Officers Caught During CBI Trap
The agency subsequently laid a trap at the RPAO office in Ranchi to catch the accused while allegedly accepting the bribe.
On Thursday, the complainant handed over ₹48,400 as instructed. As soon as the money was allegedly accepted, the CBI team intervened and arrested all three officers at the spot.
The entire alleged bribe amount was recovered during the operation.
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CBI Searches Five Premises in Ranchi and Dhanbad
Following the arrests, the investigation was expanded to examine the financial affairs and assets of the accused.
Separate CBI teams conducted simultaneous searches at five premises connected with the three officials in Ranchi and Dhanbad. During the searches, the agency recovered approximately ₹22 lakh in cash and jewellery.
Property and Investment Documents Recovered
The searches also reportedly resulted in the recovery of documents relating to investments in land and real estate.
Information concerning bank lockers was also found during the operation. The CBI is examining these documents and financial records to determine whether there is any unexplained disparity between the officials’ declared income and their assets and investments.
Disproportionate Assets Angle Under Investigation
The agency is also expected to separately examine the disproportionate assets angle involving the three officers.
The cash, jewellery, property-related documents, real estate investment records and bank locker details recovered during the searches are likely to form part of this inquiry.
Investigators will examine the source of the investments and determine whether the assets are consistent with the officers’ known and legitimate sources of income.
Pending CISF Bills Under Scanner
The investigation could also extend to the wider process through which the pending bills were handled.
The CBI is likely to examine which employees had submitted TA, CEA and other claims, the movement of files through different levels of the office and the role allegedly played by the accused in expediting or withholding payments.
Relevant office records, payment documents and financial transactions may also be scrutinised.
CBI Examines Possible Role of Other Officials
The agency will question the arrested officials to determine how the alleged bribe demand was made, whether the amount was fixed individually or collectively, and whether any other person was involved in the process.
Investigators may also examine communications and records connected with the processing of the pending claims.
Accused to Be Produced Before Court
The three arrested officers are scheduled to be produced before the competent court on Friday.
The CBI is expected to seek appropriate custody for further investigation, subject to the court’s orders.
Investigation Into Alleged Bribery Continues
The arrests and searches have brought the functioning of the RPAO and the processing of pending CISF claims under scrutiny.
However, the allegations against the arrested officers are yet to be established in court. The final position regarding the alleged bribery and disproportionate assets will depend on the evidence collected during the investigation and subsequent judicial proceedings.
About the author — Ananya Aradhya writes on cybercrime, fraud, scams, cybersecurity, digital safety, and emerging threats. Her work also covers major criminal cases, financial frauds, consumer scams, and stories that highlight risks affecting people in the real and digital world.
