New Delhi, Nov 13 (IANS) In a major crackdown on corruption, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday arrested a Postal Inspector and an Assistant from the main post office in Saraikela district headquarters, Jharkhand, while they were caught red-handed accepting a bribe.

The agency recovered cash and several incriminating documents during the operation. CBI officials are currently interrogating both accused.

According to sources, the CBI received a complaint alleging that the Postal Inspector and Assistant of the Saraikela Post Office had demanded a bribe from Ranjan Das, who had been selected for the post of Gramin Dak Sevak (GDS).

The officials allegedly asked for 20,000 in exchange for accepting his joining. Acting on the complaint, the CBI verified the information and laid a trap, successfully apprehending the duo while they were accepting the bribe.

Following the arrest, the CBI conducted searches at the post office premises and at the residences of the accused officers.

During these searches, officials recovered cash, official documents, and papers related to suspected financial transactions, all of which have been seized for further investigation.

The agency is also probing whether other postal employees or officials were involved in the bribery network. Preliminary findings suggest that complaints about irregularities in recruitment and document verification at the post office had been reported earlier.

Both accused are being questioned at the CBI’s regional office in Ranchi.

After completing the necessary formalities, they will be produced before a special CBI court.

This marks the second such action by the CBI in Jharkhand within a week.

Just five days ago, the agency’s Anti-Corruption Branch arrested Central Coalfields Limited (CCL) HR officer Deepak Giri in Khilari for allegedly accepting a Rs 50,000 bribe.

Giri had reportedly demanded Rs 1.5 lakh from complainant Roshan Kumar in exchange for a compassionate appointment following his father’s death earlier this year.

–IANS

sas/dan