New Delhi : With the arrest of Lt Col Ranganathan Suvramani Moni, posted at the Army Headquarters here, and middleman Gaurav Kohli for an alleged bribery of Rs 2 lakh, the CBI has busted a transfer racket. It seems lakhs of rupees were paid by Army officers to manipulate postings.
Among the others named in the FIR are officer Purshottam, a resident of Secunderabad, Hyderabad, and S Subhas, BSO, Indian Army, Bengaluru. Sources said the accused were allegedly facilitating choice postings for a “gratification” running into lakhs. The bribes were being paid through hawala channels. A case has been registered under Section 120-B of the IPC and Sections 7, 8, 12, 13 (2) and 13 (1) (d) of the Prevention of Corruption Act,1988.
Lt Col Moni allegedly entered into a criminal conspiracy with Kohli and Purshottam, posted in the engineer stores department (ESD), Kakinara, for “influencing” transfers. Purshottam would contact officers posted either in field formations or facing imminent transfer. He would then contact Kohli, who was close to senior officers in the personnel division of the Army headquarters. Kohli would pursue their cases for choice postings in lieu of “huge illegal gratification”, the FIR says.
Purshottam allegedly asked Kohli to pursue the posting of one DSRK Reddy and Subhas from Bengaluru to Secunderabad or Visakhapatnam in lieu of a handsome bribe, the FIR claims. Subhas allegedly paid Rs 5 lakh to Kohli through hawala operators.
As Kohli reached the residence of the Lt Colonel with the bribe money, he was intercepted by the CBI. Both Kohli and the officer were arrested.