Chandigarh: Challan filed against 2 MC officials nabbed for ₹2-lakh graft

Two months after two municipal corporation (MC) officials were arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on August 8 for allegedly seeking a ₹2-lakh bribe for reinstating a sacked employee, the probe agency on Friday filed a chargesheet against the duo.

The accused, Sandeep Dhankar, health supervisor in the sanitary department, Chandigarh MC, and chief sanitary inspector (CSI) Chander Mohan, are facing charges under Section 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code and Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

They were booked on August 8 following a written complaint by Jitender Kumar, a sanitary inspector with MC, who had alleged that Mohan demanded ₹2 lakh on behalf of Dhankar for reinstating him.

Complainant was suspended over absence from work

In his complaint to CBI, Kumar stated that on April 23, he met with an accident, following which he could not attend office and because of his absence, Dhankar terminated his services.

The complainant stated that on July 18, Mohan talked to him via WhatsApp call and sought ₹2.5 lakh for reinstating him. Later, Mohan told Kumar to pay minimum ₹2 lakh as Dhankar had demanded ₹4 lakh to reinstate him.

Mohan further told Kumar that he had requested Dhankar to allow him to join work for three months and if he does not pay up fully, Dhankar may remove him again.

As Kumar did not want to give money, he lodged a complaint with CBI on August 7.

The same day, following the directions of CBI sleuths, the complainant went to meet Mohan at the office of Medical Officer of Health in Sector 17, Chandigarh.

After Kumar reached near the office, Mohan asked him to meet him in a nearby park. Mohan sought ₹2 lakh from the complainant in the park and the conversation between the two was recorded by the complainant in an audio recorder provided by CBI.

As per the transcript of the recorded conversation, submitted by CBI, Mohan asked Kumar to keep his word and pay the first instalment of ₹1 lakh in time.

The next day, a trap was laid and Mohan was caught red-handed accepting ₹1 lakh from Kumar on behalf of Dhankar, as per the CBI case.

Following Mohan’s arrest, a call was made to Dhankar, which he did not answer. “Later, Dhankar called Mohan and asked for his location. Dhankar was called near the electricity department in Sector 17. There, CBI also caught Dhankar red-handed with ₹1 lakh bribe in his possession. Also, in the audio recording, Dhankar was heard asking about the remaining amount,” CBI has stated.

Both were arrested within a span of two hours. Later, searches were conducted and some “incriminating” documents were seized. They were subsequently suspended by Chandigarh MC.