The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested three individuals, including a Chief Engineer and an Executive Engineer of the Public Works Department (PWD), Government of Puducherry, and a private contractor associated with the PWD. The arrests were made immediately after the exchange of a partial bribe amount of Rs 2 lakh. During subsequent searches, the CBI recovered Rs 73 lakh in cash.
A case was registered by the CBI on March 22, 2025, against the accused and unknown others. The allegations state that the Executive Engineer, under whose jurisdiction the contractor had undertaken road contract works in the PWD, Karaikal, demanded a bribe of Rs 6 lakh (approximately 1% of the total estimated tender amount of Rs 7.44 crore). The bribe was intended to ensure future site clearances and payment approvals without delays.
The CBI laid a trap on March 22, 2025, and caught the three accused red-handed. The Executive Engineer accepted a partial bribe of Rs 2 lakh from the contractor in the presence of the Chief Engineer. The CBI recovered Rs 2 lakh from the Executive Engineer and an additional Rs 50,000 from the contractor’s vehicle. All three accused were arrested.
Searches were conducted at the residential and official premises of the accused in Puducherry and Karaikal, leading to the recovery of Rs 73 lakh (Rs 65 lakh from the Chief Engineer’s residence and Rs 8 lakh from the Executive Engineer’s residence), along with incriminating documents.
The arrested accused were produced before the Judicial Magistrate I, Karaikal, on March 23, 2025, and were remanded to judicial custody. The investigation is ongoing.
