The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) apprehended two Northern Railway officials in Lucknow for allegedly taking a bribe while handling a pension claim. The arrested individuals are Akash Tyagi, an Accountant, and Akshay Srivastava, an Assistant Divisional Finance Manager. They were caught accepting Rs 70,000 from a complainant.
Following a complaint, the CBI registered a case against the Accountant and others involved. The complainant accused the officials of demanding Rs 1,00,000 post the Pension Payment Order (PPO) generation and an additional Rs 2,50,000 upon claim settlement. Acting promptly, the CBI nabbed the officials during the acceptance of Rs 70,000.
Both accused officials are in custody and will appear before the court in Lucknow. The CBI is conducting further investigations to uncover any additional individuals implicated in the bribery incident. This event underscores the persistent issue of corruption in public sectors, particularly in pension claim processes impacting retirees.
The CBI has been actively pursuing corruption cases, with recent arrests including a Sales Officer from Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited and two public servants from the Revenue Department in Jammu and Kashmir. These efforts have resulted in convictions, demonstrating the agency’s commitment to combating bribery.
