IAS Officer Bribery Case: '₹85 Lakh Routed Through Hawala,' Says CBI In FIR

Mumbai, March 24: Investigations into the case wherein the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had booked 1997 batch IAS officer Sanjeev Hans, private secretary to the then Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, Government of India, and others for allegedly demanding and accepting undue advantage from the directors/promoters of Mumbai-based developer firm M/s East & West Builders for allegedly getting favourable orders from the National Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission (NCDRC) have revealed that Rs 85 lakh of the bribe amount was paid through the hawala route.

Multiple accused named in FIR

Apart from Hans, the agency has booked six private persons and M/s East & West Builders that had paid money for allegedly getting favourable orders from NCDRC.

Alleged bribery arrangement detailed

The CBI stated in its FIR registered on March 20 that one of the accused, who happens to be a friend of Sanjeev Hans and is associated with the sister concern of M/s East & West Builders, approached the latter to get favourable orders from NCDRC in a builder-buyer dispute of the company and its promoters.

The FIR also alleged that the accused arranged a meeting of Hans with one of the promoters of his company, and during the said meeting, the latter agreed to pay a bribe of Rs 1 crore to the former to get favourable orders from NCDRC in the matter of M/s East & West Builders.

It is also learnt that subsequent to the said meeting, Sanjeev Hans managed two separate dates from the NCDRC bench in favour of M/s East & West Builders and also managed non-arrest of the promoter/director of the company. In lieu of the favours extended by Sanjeev Hans, an amount of Rs 1 crore was paid to him, the CBI stated in its FIR.

Hawala route used for payments

The said bribe amount of Rs 1 crore was paid in tranches through Shadab Khan and Pushpraj Bajaj, both associates of Sanjeev Hans. Hans had shared the mobile numbers of Khan and Bajaj with one of the accused to facilitate the transfer of the bribe amount.

"Bajaj used to facilitate Sanjeev Hans in receiving bribes and subsequently layering, laundering the same. Hans, Khan and Bajaj used to share information such as amounts, contact details in coded words indicating collection and delivery of bribes on behalf of Hans through the hawala route. The probe has revealed that Rs 85 lakh had been paid through the hawala route while Rs 15 lakh was remitted in the bank account of Hans's friend," stated the FIR.

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IAS Officer Bribery Case: '₹85 Lakh Routed Through Hawala,' Says CBI In FIR

CBI has revealed that ₹85 lakh of a ₹1 crore bribe in an IAS officer corruption case was routed through hawala channels, with the remaining amount transferred via bank accounts, exposing a layered money laundering network.