Essar MD, IT Commissioner Arrested by CBI in Rs 2 Cr Bribery Case

The Commissioner allegedly demanded Rs 2 crore from Essar for granting favours to a trust linked to the Group.

The IT Commissioner had allegedly demanded Rs 2 crore from Essar for granting favours to a trust linked to the Group. (Photo: Reuters)

The CBI arrested the Managing Director of the Essar Group of Companies and an Income Tax Commissioner, along with four others, on Wednesday in connection with the alleged payment of bribes amounting to Rs 2 crore.

The Income Tax Commissioner, identified as BB Rajendra Prasad, was allegedly nabbed taking Rs 19.34 lakh from realtor Suresh Kumar Jain.

This amount was part of an approximately Rs 2 crore bribe amount purportedly demanded by Prasad from Pradip Mittal, the Essar Group MD, in exchange for granting favours to a trust linked to Group.

In addition to this, Rs 1.5 crore – considered to be part of the bribe amount – was also recovered separately from Jain. The raids carried out by the investigating agency at the homes and offices of the accused in Mumbai and Vishakhapatnam also yielded investment details, bank account details and other crucial documents

While Prasad, along with one other individual, was arrested from Vishakhapatnam, the others were apprehended from Mumbai.

Saying that the accused would be produced in a Vishakhapatnam court on Wednesday itself, a DNA report quoted a CBI official as saying:

We will be seeking their transit remand and will produce them before a court in Vishakhapatnam. 

A probe into the case is underway.

(With inputs from PTI and IANS)