Govt forfeits medal awarded to CBI inspector who was arrested in bribery case

The government has “forfeited” the Union Home Minister’s medal for Excellence in Investigation awarded to CBI Inspector Rahul Raj in 2023 who was later caught by the agency red-handed, allegedly receiving Rs 10 lakh bribe and dismissed from the service, officials said.

The action comes on the recommendation of CBI director Praveen Sood who has cracked down on corrupt elements detected in the agency’s internal vigilance process.

Raj, a recipient of a prestigious medal in 2023, was caught “red-handed” on May 19 while allegedly accepting an illegal gratification of Rs 10 lakh from Malay College of Nursing chairman Anil Bhaskaran and his wife Suma Anil, an official alleged. The couple were also arrested.

CBI swung into action after inputs and surveillance by its internal vigilance unit indicated that one of the support teams constituted on the orders of the Madhya Pradesh High Court to examine the infrastructure in nursing colleges in the state was indulging in corruption.

Officials in the know of developments said that CBI director Sood had made it clear in no uncertain terms that “internal vigilance is prerequisite to external action”.

They said that, following its policy of “zero tolerance to corruption and misdemeanours”, CBI dismissed its officer under Article 311 of the Constitution within days of his arrest.

CBI also recommended cancelling his medal, which the home ministry has accepted.

“Union Home Minister’s Medal for Excellence in Investigation 2023 awarded to Rahul Raj, Inspector of the Central Bureau of Investigation vide Ministry’s notification No. 11024/05/2023-PMA dated 17/11/2023 published in... Gazette of India on November 17, 2023 is hereby cancelled and the medal forfeited under Rule 9 of the rules governing the award of Union Home Minister’s Medal for Excellence in Investigation,” the notification issued by the Ministry on Monday said.

Following its zero-tolerance policy towards internal corruption, three CBI officers were dismissed without enquiry under Article 311 of the Constitution while five were compulsorily retired under 56J rule in 2023-24, officials said.