Chandigarh: Charges framed against eight in bribery case

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Chandigarh, June 6

Special Judge of the CBI Jagjit Singh has framed charges against eight accused in an alleged bribery case registered by the CBI in 2020.

The charges have been framed against Mahesh Chand Sharma, then Deputy Chief Labour Commissioner; Vivek Naik, then Labour Enforcement Officer; Akhand Raj Singh of Nagarjuna Construction Company, Gurmeet Sidhu and Munish Garg, both of Advantage HR Solutions; Gangumolu Venkata Ramaiah and two businessmen Lakhwinder Singh and Inderjeet Singh Bath under sections 7, 7 A, 8 and 12 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, and Section 120-B of the Indian Penal Code .

All accused pleaded not guilty and claimed trial.

Senior Public Prosecutor for the CBI PK Dogra argued for framing charges against the accused on the basis of the investigation and records available.

The chargesheet in the case was filed in July 2020. The CBI alleged that some private persons were acting as middlemen between various private industrialists, businessmen and public servants for collecting illegal gratification.

An inspection had been conducted on May 8, 2019, by accused Vivek Naik along with other officers on the premises of a construction company in Bhatinda, and detected certain irregularities. The officials of the company then contacted the other accused who were working as middlemen and a certain amount was fixed which was to be given to Naik as bribe. On getting information, a team was formed by the CBI. The CBI arrested the accused, including two persons of the Bathinda-based private firm, at a hotel in Panchkula for allegedly giving a bribe of Rs 1,30,000 to the then Labour Enforcement Officer, who allegedly accepted it on behalf of the then Deputy Chief Labour Commissioner, Chandigarh, in 2020.