The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed an FIR against K.C. Joshi, the Chief Material Manager of Northeastern Railway Gorakhpur, for allegedly demanding a bribe from the owner of a private firm in exchange for not cancelling his tender.
A senior CBI official said that they received a complaint from Pranav Tripathi regarding the bribery demand by Joshi. Tripathi, the proprietor of Sukti Associates, registered his firm on the GEM portal. He supplies products and services to Northeastern Railway Gorakhpur and other government departments through his company.
Tripathi won a tender for the supply of materials from the Store Depot, Northeastern Railway Gorakhpur, in January 2023, which was valid until 15.01.2024, with a payment of Rs 80,000 per truck per month.
“Joshi, who is responsible for such matters, wrote to cancel the registration of Tripathi’s firm on the GEM portal and threatened to cancel ongoing tenders if a bribe was not paid,” read the complaint.
The CBI verified the complaint, which prima facie substantiated the allegations. Consequently, the CBI filed an FIR under section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
