Latest news with #PC)Act
New Indian Express
4 days ago
- New Indian Express
South Zone Culture Centre officer booked for fraud
MADURAI: The Anti-Corruption Bureau of the Central Bureau of Investigation, Madurai, has registered a case against Meenakshi Natha Pillai, who works as accounts unit officer in the South Zone Culture Centre located in Thanjavur, and his five relatives, for allegedly misappropriating Rs 2.24 crore between 2019 and 2023. According to FIR, the case was filed against G Meenakshi Natha Pillai, his brothers G Sakthivel and G Subramaniya Pillai, sister G Thayammal, and sisters-in-law D Suba and K Subhashini Pillai. They have been charged under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Prevention of Corruption (PC) Act. In his complaint, the centre's director KK Gopalakrishnan alleged that Pillai engaged in corrupt, fraudulent, and unethical practices. Further, Pillai has been accused of operating five companies under his relatives' names, and using the companies to participate in the centre's tenders. He allegedly misused various funds by collecting quotations from these companies and becoming a successful vendor for the supply of goods to the SZCC, he said.
The Hindu
31-07-2025
- The Hindu
Vigilance court convicts former Coimbatore Corporation bill collector, husband in 2009 bribery case
The Special Court for the trial of cases registered under the Prevention of Corruption (PC) Act in Coimbatore on Thursday sentenced a former bill collector of Coimbatore Corporation and her husband to one year of Rigorous Imprisonment (RI) for demanding and accepting bribe for processing a property tax assessment application in 2009. Special judge N. Sharmila awarded the punishment to N. Sarojini, 54, and her husband P. Saravanan of Tiruchi Road at Singanallur in Coimbatore. According to the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC), Sarojini, who held the post of Junior Assistant in 2009 had been working as a bill collector in the Corporation's east zone on deputation. M. Arunachalam of Karthik Nagar at Sowripalayam had submitted an application for the assessment of property tax of his newly constructed house. Sarojini demanded a bribe of ₹8,000 for processing the application and for forwarding the file with her remarks to the Assistant Revenue Officer concerned for further approval. Unwilling to bribe the official, Mr. Arunachalam approached the DVAC, which laid a trap. Sarojini and Saravanan met the complainant at his residence on August 21, 2009. The woman demanded and accepted ₹8,000 from the complainant and handed over the bribe to her husband. The DVAC trap team led by inspector A. Masutha Begum arrested the couple red-handed. Inspector A. Sadashivam (retired as DSP) investigated the case and Special Public Prosecutor S. Sivakumar appeared for the prosecution. The court on Thursday awarded one year each RI to Sarojini for offences committed under Section 7 and 13(2) read with 13(1)(d) of PC Act. Saravanan was awarded eight months and one year RI for offences under Section 12 and 13 (2) read with 13 (1) (d) of PC Act read with 109 of Indian Penal Code. A fine of ₹10,000 each was slapped on them apart from the jail terms, which will run concurrently.
Hindustan Times
25-06-2025
- Hindustan Times
CBI books EPFO accounts officer, wife in corruption case
MUMBAI: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has booked an accounts officer of the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) in a corruption case for allegedly obtaining undue advantage from certain PF claimants to process their claims. The agency also booked the accused officer's wife for allegedly abetting him in his activities related to obtaining of undue advantage from the claimants. (Shutterstock) The accused official, who is posted in Pune, and his wife, were recently booked under provisions of the Prevention of Corruption (PC) Act under sections relevant to the offences of performing public duty improperly or dishonestly in anticipation or in consequence of accepting undue advantage and abetment, respectively, CBI sources said. The accused officer is under the probe's scanner for his service tenure in the period between 2019 and 2025. The probe will also examine if there were others who may have helped the accused, agency sources said. The CBI began its investigation on the basis of information that the accused officer, being a public servant, was directly involved in the processing and handling PF claims submitted by multiple private firms over a period from 2019 to 2025, but was misusing his official position to dishonestly process the claims, the sources said. It was learnt by the CBI that several of these claimants had allegedly deposited funds in the bank account of a consultancy firm maintained with a public-sector bank. The consultancy firm was in the name of the accused officer's wife, the sources said. Verification conducted by the agency showed that the consultancy firm was allegedly also operating from the residence of the accused officer, the sources said. 'The information prima facie revealed that the accused EPFO official, being a public servant, abused his official position to improperly and dishonestly process and handle various EPFO claims submitted by various private entities in anticipation of or in consequence of accepting undue advantage through a third party, the consultancy services ostensibly operated in the name of his wife,' a CBI source said. His wife allegedly abetted him in accepting undue advantage from PF claimants under the garb of providing consultancy services to them, the sources said. The CBI obtained the approval from the Competent Authority under the PC Act to initiate its probe against the accused official.
Indian Express
23-06-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Special court grants bail to 2 men booked by CBI for defrauding NEET UG 2025 aspirants
A special court has granted bail to two individuals arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for allegedly being involved in defrauding aspiring NEET candidates by falsely promising to manipulate their NEET UG 2025 scores in exchange of money. The accused — Sandeep Jawahar Shah, a resident of Solapur, and Salim Khubbuddin Patel, a resident of Navi Mumbai — were arrested in Mumbai and Sangli earlier this month. As per the CBI, it discovered that the two were involved in duping NEET candidates and their parents by falsely claiming to have connections with officials of the National Testing Agency (NTA) that conducts the examination. As per the CBI, Shah initially demanded Rs 90 lakh from each candidate and agreed to accept Rs 87.5 lakh per candidate. The central agency claimed that Shah and Patel would assure candidates that they would receive details of their purportedly increased marks six hours before the official declaration of results. The accused sought to be released on bail on the grounds that probe was completed and their custodial interrogation was not required. The pleas claimed that there was no recovery at the instance of the applicants and they'll co-operate with the trial after being released on bail. The CBI, however, opposed the pleas stating that the same be rejected as there other accused persons are yet to be arrested and therefore the custodial interrogation of present applicants would be required. However, special judge VP Desai observed that till date (on June 21) 'the investigating officer has nothing concrete to show that till what period the other accused will be arrested'. Merely because the other accused persons are yet to be arrested cannot be a ground for rejection of the bail, the judge added. The court further noted that offence under section 7(A) of Prevention of the Corruption (PC) Act is not punishable in imprisonment of life or death AND punishment prescribed is not less than three years but will extend to seven years. 'Nothing is brought on record against the applicant that he will not be available for trial. Hence discretion in the nature of bail can be exercised in the favour of applicants,' the court held and granted bail to the two on furnishing personal bond of Rs 50,000 each along with other terms and conditions.
Hindustan Times
21-06-2025
- Hindustan Times
Sonepat DC's personal assistant held in graft case
Jun 21, 2025 07:20 AM IST The anti-corruption bureau (ACB) officials on Friday arrested a personal assistant to Sonepat deputy commissioner while accepting a bribe of ₹ 3.50 lakh in lieu of ensuring transfer of a clerk from additional deputy commissioner's office, Sonepat to Rai Tehsil as revenue clerk. The ACB has registered a case against the accused under various sections of the Prevention of Corruption (PC) Act. (HT photo for representation) A spokesperson of ACB said that they have recovered ₹ 3.5 lakh from the accused Shashank from Sonepat Deputy commissioner's office and ₹ 5.75 lakh from his house at Ashok Vihar in Sonepat. 'We have received a complaint from a clerk, who was recently transferred to ADC office that Shashank, who is personal assistant to Sonepat deputy commissioner had sought ₹ 5 lakh from him in lieu of transfer from ADC office to Rai Tehsil as revenue clerk when he met him to transfer him from ADC office. He had already paid ₹ 1.5 lakh in advance and now demanded ₹ 3.5 lakh to ensure his transfer. Even, the accused claimed that he had talked to the deputy commissioner for the transfer,' the spokesperson added. The ACB has registered a case against the accused under various sections of the Prevention of Corruption (PC) Act.
