CBI busts job racket in CRPF’s anti-Naxal unit

Tribune News Service

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New Delhi, October 14

The CBI today busted a recruitment racket and booked five CRPF constables posted at the headquarters of its elite CoBRA force for allegedly taking bribe to get failed candidates selected in the anti-Naxal commando unit in 2018.

Officials said a former CRPF constable was also booked in the case, taking the number of persons against whom the case has been registered to six.

5 constables booked

• Five CRPF constables posted at the headquarters of its elite CoBRA force booked
• They allegedly took bribe to get failed candidates selected in the anti-Naxal commando unit in 2018
• A former CRPF constable is also booked, taking the number of accused to six

The CBI took action following a complaint from the CoBRA headquarters, which stated that some constables, during their pre-induction training in the unit, had alleged that a “criminal network” was operating and those associated with it took bribes from failed candidates to get them selected to the CoBRA unit of the force.

CoBRA is a specialised force raised for guerilla and jungle warfare.

The agency has booked constables general duty Sashi Kanwar, Rahul Rathi, Manoj Kumar, Mohit Kumar Rathi, Velu Murugan and former constable Sandeep Kumar, officials said.

Following an FIR, the CBI conducted searches at five locations in Delhi, Haryana and Baghpat in Uttar Pradesh on the premises of the accused constables, they said.

It is alleged that Mohit Kumar Rathi had approached his unsuccessful training mate Kampilla Mogulaiah, who had failed in the final induction test, for ensuring his selection and provided the account number of Narvir Singh, who Kanwar’s brother-in-law. Mogulaiah allegedly deposited Rs 35,000 in that account.

Later, the CRPF came to know of several instances where failed candidates were approached by the accused constables for depositing cash into accounts of Narvir Singh and others to get selected in the commando unit.