CBI Nabs Narcotics Officer in Rs 1 Crore Bribery Scandal

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has apprehended Mahender Singh, an officer from the Central Bureau of Narcotics (CBN), for allegedly soliciting a bribe of Rs one crore from a farmer, officials reported on Friday. The arrest took place in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, where Singh was stationed.

Singh, along with his accomplice Jagdish Menariya, was detained after they reportedly accepted Rs three lakh of the total bribe demand. The officer had seized 400 kilograms of opium husk from the farmer's fields and allegedly used this as leverage to demand the bribe, threatening to implicate the farmer and his family in a narcotics case if the amount was not paid.

The CBI acted after receiving a complaint from the farmer, who claimed to have already paid Rs 44 lakh in installments since March. A sting operation was set up, resulting in the arrest of Singh and Menariya as they collected Rs three lakh. Searches were conducted at three locations in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh related to the accused.

(With inputs from agencies.)