Dec 31, 2024 10:45 PM IST
An official aware of the matter said CBI had also recommended cancelling Raj’s medal, which the home ministry has now accepted.
The ministry of home affairs (MHA) has forfeited the “Home Minister’s Medal for Excellence in Investigation”, awarded to now-dismissed Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inspector in 2023, allegedly after he was caught receiving ₹10 lakh bribe, a gazette notification issued by the ministry said on Tuesday.
According to people aware of the matter, Raj was arrested by CBI on May 18 this year on charges of accepting a bribe of ₹10 lakh from Malay College of Nursing chairman Anil Bhaskaran and his wife Suma Anil in exchange for “favourable inspection reports”. He was dismissed from service soon after.
“Union Home Minister’s Medal for Excellence in Investigation-2023 awarded to Rahul Raj, Inspector of the Central Bureau of Investigation vide Ministry’s notification No. 11024/05/2023-PMA dated 17/11/2023 published in…Gazette of India on November 17, 2023 is hereby cancelled and the medal forfeited under Rule-9 of the Rules governing the award of Union Home Minister’s Medal for Excellence in Investigation,” the notification issued by the ministry said on Tuesday.
In May this year, CBI had announced the arrest of Raj and 12 others, saying that its internal vigilance mechanism had unearthed a conspiracy involving some of its own officials and officials of state nursing colleges and patwaris in Madhya Pradesh. The federal agency also revealed recovering a total of ₹2.33 crore in cash, four gold bars, 36 digital devices and over 150 incriminating documents during search operations linked to the premises of the accused.
“During monitoring of inspections being carried out by various teams, officials of one of the support teams, including Rahul Raj, Inspector, CBI were found to be indulging in corrupt activities. It was observed that they were giving favourable inspection reports in lieu of bribes collected through conduits. The internal vigilance mechanism of CBI came into action and a case against 23 persons, including Inspector Rahul Raj, 03 other CBI officials and conduits/touts was registered. On Saturday (May 18), Inspector Rahul Raj was caught red handed while accepting an illegal gratification of ₹10 lakh,” the agency’s statement had said.
An official aware of the matter said CBI had also recommended cancelling Raj’s medal, which the home ministry has now accepted.
“CBI’s internal vigilance unit had arrested him (Raj) and 12 others for giving favourable inspection reports to nursing colleges in Madhya Pradesh… the officer was caught red handed, arrested and later dismissed from service. CBI had also written to the ministry that the prestigious medal be withdrawn as he had indulged in corrupt practices in collusion with other officials and taking bribe,” he said.
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