CHANDIGARH, MAY 12 — During late-night operation, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) dismantled an alleged extortion racket operating within the proximity of the Punjab Vigilance Bureau’s top brass. Three men were taken into custody following a coordinated raid in Chandigarh and a subsequent chase that ended near the Ambala border.
The investigation focuses on allegations that O.P. Rana, an inspector-rank official serving as a reader in the Vigilance department, used private intermediaries to solicit bribes from government employees facing department inquiries. The CBI stated that Rana and his associates, Vikas and Raghav Goyal, initially demanded ₹20 lakh from a state tax officer for the closure of a vigilance file. The demand was eventually modified to a cash payment of ₹13 lakh and a high-end foldable smartphone.
Investigators affirmed that a trap was successfully executed on Saturday, leading to the recovery of the bribe material from an associate at the scene. However, the operation took a dramatic turn when the primary suspects were alerted by security personnel and fled in a vehicle. The CBI team pursued the group for several kilometers before nabbing the Goyals and two Punjab Police gunmen who were reportedly providing unauthorized security to the private individuals.
“Rana, reader to DGP Vigilance, is still absconding and efforts are being made to arrest him,” an official spokesperson affirmed. The agency maintained that the role of the gunmen, who were found carrying AK-47 rifles while assisting the private suspects, is also under scrutiny. The CBI noted that preliminary evidence suggests a wider conspiracy involving the exchange of sensitive information regarding pending corruption cases.
