CBI arrests Lt Col, middleman for transfer of Bengaluru-based officer

The CBI has arrested a Lt Colonel and a middleman for reportedly running a transfer racket at the Indian Army headquarters.

Lt Col Ranganathan Suvramani Moni, posted in the personnel division of the army, and middleman Gaurav Kohli were arrested on Thursday while an alleged bribe of Rs 2 lakh was changing hands for the transfer of a Bengaluru-based officer, the agency said.

Both, the officer and the middleman, were produced before a special court here on Friday and they were remanded to four days' CBI custody. “Searches were conducted at the premises, including the residences of the arrested accused and others at New Delhi, Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Thiruvananthapuram, which led to recovery of cash of over Rs 10 lakh and other incriminating documents and articles,” the CBI statement said.

According to the CBI, the racket related to the officers reportedly paying lakhs of rupees to manipulate their postings.

A case has been registered against Lt Col Moni, Bengaluru-based barracks and stores officer (BSO) S Subhas, Hyderabad-based army officer Purshottam and alleged middleman Kohli.

Trap laid
The FIR also named Brigadier S K Grover, DDG Personnel, but his name has not been included in the list of accused, CBI sources said.

The investigating agency had learnt of the illicit activities of some army officers and laid a trap to arrest the two men.

The agency busted the racket involving senior army officers posted at its headquarters here. They were reportedly giving postings of their choice for “huge illegal gratification” which ran into lakhs for a single transfer, sources said.
The expose is bound to send ripples in the army as some more senior officers are suspected to be involved in the case, CBI sources said.

The bribe was being paid through hawala channels, the CBI FIR said. The agency is also probing how army officers were ready to pay lakhs of rupees to get a posting of their choice.