The CBI has booked a Consumer Affairs Ministry official and three others, including a woman who allegedly conspired with the official, to get approval for a laboratory of weights and measures in lieu of monetary consideration.
The accused have been identified as Monika Gill, Arun Kumar Singh (Ministry official), Ramchandra Rao Sariki and M.V. Krishnaiah. While Ms. Gill and Mr. Singh are from Delhi, the other two are from Andhra Pradesh.
The FIR has been registered on the basis of a preliminary inquiry instituted on April 4, 2019, following a source information that Ms. Gill was indulging in corrupt and suspicious activities. She had developed contacts in various Ministries and departments, including the Consumer Affairs Ministry.
“It is alleged that Ms. Gill regularly contacted private persons to get their pending work done in the Ministries and departments where she had contacts, by taking undue benefits/illegal gratification on behalf of the public servants concerned,” said an official.
The agency found that Mr. Sariki and Mr. Krishnaiah were in contact with Ms. Gill to get a clearance from the Legal Metrology Department under the Consumer Affairs Ministry. In 2013, Mr. Sariki had applied for the approval to set up a government empanelled laboratory of weights and measures in Andhra Pradesh.
Such a laboratory has to be approved and listed by the Legal Metrology Department, Ministry of Consumer Affairs. The matter was being regularly pursued by Mr. Sariki and Mr. Krishnaiah. Ms. Gill assured them of facilitating the processing of their file through her contacts, as alleged.
According to the CBI, Mr. Sariki agreed to pay ₹70 lakh for the job and made a part payment to the main accused through cash, cheque and online fund transfer. He had deposited over ₹8.19 lakh in Ms. Gill’s bank account after February 2018.
The CBI found that Ms. Gill was in contact with Mr. Singh for the issue of government approved test centres’ notification. She had also transferred ₹1 lakh to his account, it alleges.
Based on the findings, the agency has now registered a case against the four accused under relevant provisions of the IPC and the Prevention of Corruption Act.
