Chairman-cum-Managing Director of South Eastern Coalfields Limited (SECL) in Bilaspur, M P Dikshit was on Wednesday arrested by the CBI for allegedly taking a bribe of Rs.1.30 crore from two private firms whose directors were also apprehended.
CBI has also seized Rs.1.55 crore in cash from four lockers in connection with Dikshit's arrest.
CBI said it has also arrested Vijender Singh, Director of Bedford group of companies Bilaspur, his employee Sanjay Singh, Surojit Samanta, Director of S K Samanta and company, Kolkata and his employee V N Singh under various sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
CBI spokesman Harsh Bhal said Dikshit had allegedly demanded Rs.one crore from the Bilaspur-based company which was paid to him for showing favour to it in matter pending in SECL
He said for the purpose of receiving illegal gratification, Dikshit had asked Managing Director of another private company having official dealings with SECL, to detail one of his employee based in Delhi, to collect the money on his behalf. CMD also gave a pseudo name to the employee.
"In the follow-up of this conspiracy, an amount of Rs 80 lakh exchanged hands near a school in Saket in the evening of May 25," Bhal said.
He said the CBI conducted searches at five places in Delhi, Bilaspur and Raipur.
"During investigation, it also came to light that earlier this month, CMD had also taken another amount of about Rs 50 lakh through the same Delhi-based employee of the company, who was used as courier, this time also.
'For recovering this amount, four lockers were searched in Delhi and an amount of Rs 1.55 crore has been seized. This is in addition to the amount of Rs 80 lakh which were transacted on May 25," Bhal said. PTI
