New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered a case against 21 senior officials of Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) Assam circle for alleged corruption. The agency has also conducted searches at 25 locations in connection with the case.
The CBI has alleged that the accused officials, who are from the BSNL Assam Circle, had entered into a conspiracy with a contractor to cheat the company. The contractor is said to have inflated the bills for providing services to BSNL.
The CBI has booked the accused officials under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including criminal conspiracy, cheating, and forgery. The agency has also booked the contractor under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
The searches were conducted at the residences and offices of the accused officials in Jorhat, Sibsagar, Guwahati, and other places. The CBI has recovered incriminating documents and electronic evidence during the searches.
The CBI has said that it is probing the matter further and more arrests are likely in the case.
The case is a major embarrassment for BSNL, which is already facing financial problems. The company has been losing money for years and has been unable to compete with private telecom operators.
The CBI’s investigation into the case is likely to put further pressure on BSNL. The company may have to pay a hefty fine if it is found guilty of corruption.
The case is also a reminder of the need for good governance in public sector undertakings. The government needs to take steps to ensure that such corruption cases do not happen in the future.thumb_upthumb_downuploadGoogle itmore_vert