The Central Bureau of Investigation on Wednesday arrested the Executive Director and Regional Officer of the National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited, Guwahati office, for allegedly accepting a bribe of ₹10 lakh.
The bribe was reportedly taken in exchange for issuing favourable official documents related to a highway project in Assam.
Bribe Linked To Highway Project In Assam
According to an official CBI press release, the arrest was made after the agency registered a case based on source information against the NHIDCL Executive Director, the Regional Officer, and two representatives of a private company.
On October 14, CBI officers laid a trap and caught the Executive Director red-handed while allegedly accepting ₹10 lakh from a representative of the private company.
The bribe was reportedly offered for facilitating the issuance of an Extension of Time and a Completion Certificate for work executed under a contract for four-laning National Highway-37, from Demow to the end of the Moran Bypass, along with other projects in Assam.
Searches Reveal Crores In Cash & Multiple Properties
Following the arrests, the CBI conducted raids at seven locations, including office and residential premises of the accused across India. During the searches, the agency seized ₹2.62 crore in cash from the residence of the arrested public servant.
Further investigations revealed that the official and his family members were in possession of an extensive portfolio of real estate assets. This included:
20 apartments located across various parts of the country
Additionally, documents related to the purchase of high-end vehicles in the name of the public servant were also recovered. Verification of the full extent of immovable and movable assets is currently underway.
Both the NHIDCL Executive Director and the private individual arrested in the case will be produced before the Special Judge for CBI Cases in Guwahati.
Ongoing Investigation
The CBI has not disclosed the names of the accused as the investigation is ongoing. The arrests underline the agency’s continued focus on corruption in infrastructure-related government departments, particularly where large public funds are involved.
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