The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has booked five persons for allegedly conspiring to cheat people on the false promise of arranging a Rajya Sabha seat for ₹100 crore, besides appointments as Governor and Chairperson of government-run organisations in lieu of huge illegal gratifications. “Four of them have been arrested,” a CBI official said.
The accused have been identified as Kamalakar Premkumar Bandgar from Latur in Maharashtra; Mahendra Pal Arora and Mohammed Aijaz Khan, residents of Delhi; Abhishek Boora from neighbouring Ghaziabad; and Ravindra Vithal Naik, who is currently living in Karnataka’s Belgaum.
It is learnt that the agency had also zeroed in on Mr. Khan, but he managed to flee after allegedly assaulting some officials.
The agency had received information that Mr. Bandgar, who allegedly impersonated a CBI officer posted at the agency’s Delhi headquarters, and entered into a conspiracy with the others to cheat people on the pretext of arranging various seats and appointments.
According to the CBI, Mr. Boora would discuss with Mr. Bangdar the ways to exploit the latter’s connections with government officials holding high positions, who could facilitate the appointments of their clients. The accused Mr. Bandgar had instructed Mr. Boora and others to bring in any work that he could get done in exchange for money.
The accused persons often dropped names of senior bureaucrats and political functionaries to impress upon those who approached them to get their job done. The agency alleged that Mr. Bandgar also used to threaten the officers posted in various police stations to influence the investigations against his clients.
