Agency (New Delhi):
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) announced the attachment of Rs 22.48 lakh, identified as a bribe, seized by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in 2022 during an operation against Army officials at the Ambala Cantonment in Haryana and some private contractors.
The bribe money was traced to Dinesh Kumar, the director of Mahagouri Electricals Pvt Ltd, and Praveen Jain, the beneficial owner of Pee Jay Enterprises. They were accused of bribing Military Engineering Service (MES) officials Subedar Major Pradeep Kumar and Lt Col Rahul Arvind Pawar.
Both Subedar Major Pradeep Kumar and Lt Col Rahul Arvind Pawar, who were serving at the MES in Ambala Cantonment, were apprehended by the CBI on August 20 last year. They were caught while accepting bribes totaling Rs 22.48 lakh from Dinesh Kumar and others. Lt Col Pawar held the position of the senior barracks store officer (MES) and was assisted by his deputy, Subedar Major Pradeep Kumar.
The ED’s statement indicated that by exploiting their official roles, the MES officials facilitated Dinesh Kumar in securing most orders from MES Ambala and subsequently received the bribe as a ‘commission’ from the private contractors.
This development highlights the ED’s ongoing efforts in combating corruption and ensuring accountability, especially in sensitive sectors involving defense and national security.
