The CBI conducted searches at about eight locations in and around Delhi on Saturday. (File)
ES Ranganathan, a senior official at state-run natural gas corporation GAIL, was named by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Saturday along with several suspected middlemen and businessmen in a case of bribery worth over Rs 50 lakh.
Following the registration of the case on Friday, the CBI conducted searches at about eight locations in and around Delhi including the office of Ranganathan at Bhikaji Kama Place in the capital and his residence in Sector 62, Noida.
Besides Ranganathan, the agency has also named middlemen Pawan Gaur and Rajesh Kumar, N Ramakrishnan Nair who had allegedly collected bribes, businessmen Saurabh Gupta and his Panchkula -based company United Polymer Industries and Aditya Bansal and his company Karnal-based Bansal Agency, they said.
Officials said that Ranganathan was "indulging into corrupt and illegal activities in criminal conspiracy" with Gaur and Kumar, who is also director of Rishab Polychem Pvt. Ltd based at Bahudargarh Road, Delhi.
Kumar and Gaur allegedly acted as Ranganathan's middlemen, by obtaining bribe from the private companies buying petro-chemical products marketed by GAIL, the FIR alleged.
It said sources informed the CBI that at the direction of Kumar, Gaur had asked Ranganathan for allowing some discount to the buyers on petro-chemical products being marketed by GAIL in return of illegal gratification. It is alleged that Kumar and Gaur met Ranganathan at his Noida residence on December 11 last year for discussing the proposal, the FIR alleged.
Two days later Gaur informed Kumar that proposal of discounts is being considered in GAIL, the FIR alleged.
In order to arrange bribes, Kumar got in touch with other prospective beneficiaries of discount, after the final decision is taken in GAIL on issuance of the discount order. Gaur, Kumar and Ranganathan again met at a five star hotel in Delhi on December 14 to discuss it further.
"Source has further informed that on December 17, 2021, Rajesh collected the demanded bribe amount from beneficiary private parties and delivered it to Gaur for Ranganathan. Source has further informed that on December 18, 2021, on the direction of Ranganathan, Nair...has collected the said amount of Rs. 40 Lakh from the residence of Gaur. Thereafter on December 20, 2021, Gaur pursued Ranganathan for issuance of order, on which he had told him that he would sign after returning from Mumbai," an official said. Kumar allegedly roped in two more perspective beneficiaries-Gupta and Bansal--and convinced them for paying bribe in exchange for the favourable orders, the FIR alleged.
Kumar on January 13 told Gupta to fulfil his side commitment for issuance of discount order from GAIL and put forth alleged demand of Rs 12 lakh from Ranganathan, it alleged. Gaur also told Gupta to send money at the earliest after which he allegedly paid Rs three lakh to Kumar while remaining was to be sent through hawala route, it said. "...Ranganathan on the request of Pawan Gaur and Rajesh Kumar got some checks conducted in the month of November, 2021 in the premises of some authorised stockists of GAIL. However, before the said surprise check, Sh. E.S. Ranganathan had also cautioned some of his favoured parties," the FIR alleged.