Bribery case: CBI court frames charges against JE in Chandigarh

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 13

Jagjit Singh, Special Judge, CBI court, Chandigarh, has framed charges against Akshay Kumar, a junior engineer, Central Public Works Department (CPWD), Chandigarh, who was arrested by the CBI for allegedly demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 55,000 from a contractor.

“After hearing the submissions of the public prosecutor for the CBI and the counsel for the accused and going through the documents on record, a prima facie case is made out against the accused for having committed the offence punishable under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, (as amended in 2018). Accordingly, the accused has been chargesheeted to which the he pleaded not guilty and claimed trial,” says the CBI Judge in the order.

Special public prosecutor PK Dogra argued the case on behalf of the CBI. As per the CBI complainant, the contractor finished the work of renovating a gym and a creche in a government building. When the complainant requested the accused to clear his bills for Rs14 lakh (approximately), the junior engineer allegedly demanded a bribe of Rs55,000 in lieu of releasing the payment.

After receiving the complaint, the CBI laid a trap and caught the accused while demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs55,000.

The CBI registered the case against the accused for committing the offence punishable under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, in September 2021.

The CBI has already submitted the challan against the accused after receiving the sanction to prosecute the accused by the competent authority.

The CBI court has fixed March 3, 2022, as the next date of hearing for the prosecution witnesses. The court has also issued a notice to the CBI for December 21, 2021, to give a reply on the application of the accused filed for the release of articles/documents.