Targeted operation: ACB uncovers bribery scandal in BSES, 1 arrested

New Delhi: In a targeted operation conducted by the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) Delhi, a bribery scandal within the BSES (BSES Rajdhani Power Limited) has been unearthed, ACB officials informed on Thursday.

The raid was prompted by a complaint lodged by Sanjay (name changed), a retired government official who recently purchased a flat in Nizamuddin, Delhi. Sanjay alleged that despite meeting all requirements, BSES officials demanded a bribe of Rs 1 lakh for installation of an electricity meter.

Specifically implicating BSES officials Lalit Mukheriya (Divisional General Manager), Nishchit (Assistant Manager Power Supply), Rakesh Gupta (Commercial Officer), and Devesh Sharma (Customer Care Officer), the complaint highlighted the coercive demand for a bribe split into advance and installation payments.

Madhur Verma, Joint CP and ACB chief, stated that upon receiving the complaint, ACP Jarnail Singh spearheaded the investigation, which involved the preparation of a raiding team supervised by DCP Shweta Singh Chauhan. The team meticulously planned the operation, with marked currency equipped with Phenolphthalein powder.

During the raid at BSES’s Nizamuddin Division office, Devesh Sharma was caught red-handed accepting Rs 50,000 as part of the bribe demand. Upon the signal from a witness, the Anti-Corruption Branch swiftly apprehended Sharma and recovered the tainted money, Verma confirmed.

Sharma, a 42-year-old Customer Care Officer with a 20-year tenure at BSES, was arrested under the Prevention of Corruption Act. However, Lalit Mukheriya, Nishchit, and Rakesh Gupta absconded from the office, prompting further investigation into their involvement, Verma said.