Army recruitment scam: CBI registers case against 17 military officers including Lieutenant Colonel

From Bhupengoswami

GUWAHATI :Central Bureau of Investigation, CBI has conducted raids at 30 places including Guwahati, Jorhat in connection with the army recruitment scam. In this case, 17 army officers have been booked on behalf of CBI. Several documents have also been recovered during the raids. A senior CBI official said in Guwahati on Wednesdaythat the CBI has registered an FIR against 23 persons including 17 army personnel in connection with a recruitment scam on an army complaint. These include six Lieutenant Colonel rank officers and their relatives. All these people have been charged with bribery and irregularities in recruitment of officers and other posts through service selection Board (SSB).

The CBI has conducted raids at a total of 30 locations across the country on Monday. The CBI has also received several documents pertaining to the scam during the raids. In fact, the intelligence wing of the Army headquarters received inputs for taking bribes in the name of medical examination of candidates at the base hospital at Delhi Cantt during the recruitment process of officers. The army examined the entire matter at its level. The army, in its internal investigation, found that several army Lieutenant Colonel Major level officers were involved in the recruitment scam. Also, bribe money was taken through the families of these officers. During the army’s own investigation, it has also come to the fore that havildar and lieutenant level officers in the army bribed for recruitment. The army, during its investigation, had found that the bribe money was also given through bank cheques besides cash and in some cases the bank money was transferred from the bank.

 Thereafter, Brig VK Purohit of the Vigilance branch of the Army lodged a complaint with the CBI on 28th February, 2021. Cbi officials have launched raids at a total of 30 locations on Monday after registering complaints of corruption in recruitment of army officers through service selection board centres. This includes other establishments at Base Hospital at Delhi Cantt, Kapurthala of Army, Bhatinda, Delhi, Kaithal, Palwal, Lucknow, Bareilly, Gorakhpur, Visakhapatnam, Jaipur, Jorhat and Chirangs. The CBI has recovered several documents during the raids. The documents recovered during the search are under investigation and the investigation is still continuing. The CBI claims that several important documents and important facts related to the recruitment scam have been recovered during the raids. According to the allegation, these people had taken bribes from different people who had come to the recruitment. The CBI has registered a case under sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act including criminal conspiracy and the investigation into the case is continuing.

According to sources, the mastermind of the recruitment scam is being told to Lt Col Bhagwan of the Army’s Air Defence Corps. At present Lt Col God is on study leave. In addition, deputy Subedar Kuldeep Singh is also among those seeking bribes from prospective officer candidates at SSB centres. The CBI has said in an official statement that a case has been registered against 17 military officers including Lt Col, Major, Naib Subedar, Sepoy etc. The nominated persons also include six Lieutenant Colonel rank officers of the Army. Six private persons have also been booked on charges relating to bribery and irregularities in recruitment of officers and other ranks through service selection board. The CBI has thus registered an FIR against a total of 23 persons after their investigation. Major Bhavesh Kumar, Lt Col Surendra Singh, Lt Col Y S Chauhan, Lt Col Sukhdev Arora, Lt Col Vinay, Lt Navjot Singh, Lt Col Bhagwan, Naib Subedar Kuldeep Singh, Cadet Hemant Dagar, Cadet Inderjit, Hav Pawan Kumar, Sepoy Rohit Kumar, Hav Kumar, Hav Harpal Harpal Singh besides Maj. Bhavesh Kumar’s wife Devyani , his father, Surendra Kumar, his mother Usha Kumawat, Lt Col Surendra Singh’s brother in law Bhupendra Bajaj etc. The names of the army officers and staff who have been included are posted in important positions at various places. Major Bhavesh Kumar is posted at group testing officer SSB Selection Centre North Kapurthala in the recruitment branch of Army while Lt Col Sukhdev Arora is posted as joint director in the Director General Recruitment New Delhi office. According to a senior CBI official’s report, a CBI spokesman said, searches were conducted on Monday at 30 locations including base hospitals, cantonments, other army establishments, civilian areas in 13 cities and towns. The names of the army officers and staff who have been included are posted in important positions at various places. For instance, Major Bhavesh Kumar is posted in the recruitment branch of Army group testing officer AT SSB Selection Centre North Kapurthala while Lt Col Sukhdev Arora is posted as joint director in the Director General Recruitment New Delhi office. According to the allegation, these people had taken bribes from different people who had come to the recruitment. The CBI has now registered a case under sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act including criminal conspiracy and the case is under investigation.