CBI books GAIL marketing director ES Ranganathan, recovers Rs 1.3 crore in cash
The central body has recovered Rs 1.30 crore in cash post the search on the premises of the GAIL director on Saturday.
FollowAfter a day of investigation, the Central Bureau of Investigation has arrested ES Ranganathan, Director (Marketing) of Gas Authority of India Ltd (GAIL), in connection with an alleged corruption case, the officials confirmed.
The central body has recovered Rs 1.30 crore in cash post the search on the premises of the GAIL director on Saturday. Valuable assets, including gold and silver, were also recovered from the premises of the ES Ranganathan, said sources.
After the federal probe agency filed an FIR against ES Ranganathan and others on allegations of corruption, CBI conducted searches. The CBI has arrested six persons so far in the case.
The CBI received details that Ranganathan was a part of the corrupt and illegal activities in criminal conspiracy with private person Pawan Gaur and Rajesh Kumar, Director of Rishab Polychem based in New Delhi, the FIR reads.
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The accused Pawan ad Rajesh were middlemen and accepted bribes from the private companies that trade in petrochemical products marketed by GAIL.
The FIR further added that the source reported Rajesh Kumar directed Pawan Gaur to ask ES Ranganathan to offer some discount to the buyers on petrochemical products that trade in GAIL in lieu of illegal gratification.
Rajesh Kumar and Pawan Kumar on December 11, 2021, met Ranganathna at his Noida residence. After two days, Pawan allegedly informed Rajesh, the GAIL has considered the proposed matter of discount.
FIR added that Rajesh Kumar gathered the beneficiary's bribe amount on December 17, 2021, and handed it to Pawan Gaur for ES Ranganathan. Sources also informed on December 18, 2021, N Ramakrishnan Nair (resident of Gurgaon) collected the amount of Rs 40 lakh from the residence of Pawan Gaur under the direction of ES Ranganathan.
The sources also informed the CBI, Ranganathan has also received a bribe on behalf of a Delhi-based private firm. CBI officials laid a trap and arrested an individual and a director of a Delhi-based private company when a person was receiving the alleged bribe of Rs 10 lakh on behalf of Ranganathan.
CBI filed the FIR against ES Ranganatha, including Pawan Gaur, Rajesh Kumar, N Ramakrishnan Nair, Saurabh Gupta of United Polymer Industries, Aditya Bansal Agencies, and both the private firms. On Saturday, all the six accused were investigated and arrested, including Ranganathan.
The arrested accused will be produced in Delhi before a designated court for their custody in the alleged corruption case.
