Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi

New Delhi, Jul 19: In a significant crackdown on corruption, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested a Border Security Force (BSF) accountant in Delhi on Friday for allegedly accepting a Rs 40,000 bribe to release long-pending pay arrears worth Rs 18.73 lakh.

The accused, Dharmendra Kumar, Assistant Accounts Officer (AAO) at the Pay and Accounts Office, BSF, was caught red-handed during a trap laid by the CBI following a complaint from Mahesh Singh, a pharmacist with the 16 Battalion of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) stationed in Dwarka.

According to the CBI, Mahesh Singh alleged that Kumar demanded a 15–20% cut — nearly Rs 2 lakh — from the arrears due to him, in exchange for clearing the payment. The bribe demand was allegedly made via social media on July 16, when Singh reached out to inquire about the delay in processing his arrears.

Singh, a resident of Bhiwani, Haryana, stated in his complaint that his arrears, amounting to Rs 18.73 lakh and dating back to April 7, 1997, had already reached the PAD BSF office on July 4, 2025, but had not been disbursed.

Refusing to give in to the demand, Singh reported the matter to the CBI, which verified the complaint and laid a trap. On July 18, Kumar was arrested while accepting Rs 40,000 as part of the bribe he had demanded.

A preliminary verification report prepared by the CBI stated that a prima facie case was established against the accused under Section 61(2) of the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (criminal conspiracy), along with Section 7A of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (as amended in 2018), for seeking undue advantage to influence official duties.

An investigation is ongoing to identify other individuals who may be involved in the conspiracy.