Ghaziabad/New Delhi — The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested a Deputy General Manager (DGM) of Oil India Limited (OIL), posted in Assam’s Duliajan, and a senior executive of a Noida-based private company for allegedly exchanging bribes amounting to Rs 7 lakh in cash and gold to secure a lucrative contract.
Bribe Demanded in Gold; Paid in Cash
According to the CBI, Prayas Chakravorty, DGM at OIL, allegedly demanded a bribe from Jyoti Kumar Singh, a senior official at United Drilling Tools Limited, to award a contract in favor of the Noida-based company. The bribe was reportedly requested in the form of 70 grams of gold ornaments, not just for himself but also for other unidentified public officials.
When Singh expressed his inability to arrange the gold, he agreed to pay the bribe in cash. Kunal Gupta, the Managing Director of United Drilling Tools, subsequently arranged Rs 7 lakh, part of which Chakravorty used to purchase gold coins worth Rs 3.70 lakh from a shop in Noida, while allegedly retaining the remaining amount in cash.
CBI Trap and Arrests
Acting swiftly, the CBI laid a trap and caught Chakravorty red-handed with approximately Rs 3.34 lakh in cash and documents related to the purchase of gold. The arrests were made on Monday after both individuals were presented before a CBI special court in Ghaziabad.
Simultaneously, search operations were launched across multiple locations including Delhi, Noida, Dibrugarh, and Tinsukia. The raids led to the recovery of:
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Gold jewelry obtained as bribe
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Over Rs 30 lakh in cash from private individuals
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Mobile devices and
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Several incriminating documents
The CBI has named Kunal Gupta, Managing Director of United Drilling Tools, as an accused in the FIR and is continuing its probe to unearth the extent of the alleged conspiracy.
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Larger Implications and Ongoing Investigation
This case adds to a growing list of corruption scandals linked to government contracts in India’s public sector enterprises. The involvement of senior officials, including from a reputed PSU like Oil India Limited, underscores persistent challenges in ensuring transparency and accountability in the procurement and contracting processes.
The CBI has not ruled out further arrests and said the investigation is ongoing to uncover the role of other public servants and private players potentially involved in the bribery network.