CBI nabs Hyderabad DGMS officer taking bribe over mine accident

Hyderabad: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Monday, August 17, arrested a Deputy Director (Mining) with the Directorate General of Mines Safety (DGMS) in Hyderabad, along with a consultant-middleman and a representative of a private mining establishment, in a bribery case.

The three were arrested a day after the CBI registered a case against the Deputy Director, attached to DGMS’s Hyderabad-III Region in the South Central Zone, along with the consultant-middleman, representatives of a private mining establishment and other unidentified public servants and private persons, in connection with the alleged demand and acceptance of a bribe, the agency said in a statement.

According to the CBI, the case stems from a fatal accident at a mining quarry in Andhra Pradesh’s Prakasam district on June 25. Representatives of the mining establishment concerned had approached the accused Deputy Director, through the consultant-middleman, seeking a favourable enquiry report on the accident that would not implicate the mine owners.

It was alleged that the middleman had earlier paid Rs 1 lakh to the Deputy Director as part of the bribe for a favourable report. Subsequently, an amount of Rs 2 lakh was arranged to be paid to him at Ongole on August 17, towards securing a favourable report in the fatal accident case, besides alleged quarterly bribe payments relating to the private mining establishment and other mines, the CBI said.

Caught red-handed in trap

The CBI laid a trap on Monday and caught the Deputy Director red-handed while accepting the Rs 2 lakh bribe from the consultant-middleman in the presence of a representative of the private mining establishment. The bribe amount was recovered during the trap proceedings, the agency said.

Searches are being conducted at the premises of the accused persons in Ongole, Kadapa and Hyderabad.

The three arrested accused, the Deputy Director, the representative of the private mining establishment and the consultant-middleman, were to be produced before the competent court in Vijayawada on Tuesday. Investigation in the case is continuing, the CBI said.