CBI Arrests Military Engineer in Himachal Pradesh in Bribery Case

New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested an Assistant Garrison Engineer of the Military Engineering Services (MES) in Manali, Himachal Pradesh, for allegedly demanding and accepting a bribe.

According to an official release, the case was registered on July 3 following a complaint by a supervisor working for a private contracting firm.

The Bribery Trap

The accused official had allegedly demanded a bribe of ₹93,000 from the complainant in exchange for clearing pending bills for the contracting firm. The complainant had already made an initial part-payment of ₹40,000 to the official at his office on July 3.

The engineer then directed the complainant to deliver the remaining balance of ₹53,000 to his office today.

The CBI reportedly laid a trap today and caught the accused Assistant Garrison Engineer red-handed while demanding the total bribe and accepting the remaining amount of ₹53,000 from the complainant.

Cash Recoveries and Ongoing Investigation

Following the successful trap operation, CBI officials conducted a raid at the engineer's residence located within the MES residential area in Manali. ₹40,000 (the initial bribe amount paid on Friday) was successfully recovered from the premises. Along with it, approximately ₹10 Lakh in unaccounted cash was additionally discovered and seized during the ongoing searches.

The accused has been taken into custody and is scheduled to be produced before the Competent Court in Shimla tomorrow, July 5.

Further investigation into the matter is currently underway to determine if there are additional links or systemic irregularities involved.