Meghalaya: CBI arrests three Postal Department officials in bribery case

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested 3 Postal Department officials, including an Assistant Branch Post Master in Meghalaya’s East Garo Hills district in a bribery case, agency sources said on Tuesday.

Central probe agency sources said that the CBI has arrested the three Postal Department officials -- Adarsh Kumar, Assistant Branch Post Master, N. Hemanta Meitai, Sub-Division Inspector and Arjun Reang, Postman, Rongjeng Sub-Post Office at Williamnagar in Meghalaya’s East Garo Hills district.

The central probe agency officials also recovered Rs 2.30 lakh cash from the residences of the accused persons.

The CBI registered the instant case on October 4 against the three accused based on a complaint received form Gram Dak Sevak, Block Post Master, Rongjeng Sub-Office of the East Garo Hills district that the accused demanded undue advantage/bribe (two months’ salary of the complainant) from the complainant for releasing his salary which was withheld by the Postal Department for the last 10 months.

After negotiation, the accused agreed to accept a bribe of Rs 30,000 and directed the complainant to pay the demanded bribe amount after disbursal of his salary.

CBI laid a trap and caught the accused Assistant Branch Post Master (Adarsh Kumar), Williamnagar, red-handed while accepting a demanded bribe amount of Rs 30,000 from the complainant and arrested him.

Later, co-accused Sub-Division Inspector and Postman were also arrested from Shillong (Meghalaya) and Ambassa in Dhalai district (Tripura) respectively on Tuesday (October 7).

CBI conducted searches at the office and residential premises of the accused at Williamnagar (East Garo Hills district) and Upanagar village in Dhalai District of Tripura, which led to the recovery of incriminating documents and also seized Rs 2.30 lakh cash from the residence of the accused postman situated at Upanagar Village in Dhalai District headquarters, Ambassa.

Arrested accused persons will be produced before the competent court. The Investigation is in progress.