CBI convicts Pune registrar official for allegedly accepting bribe from Mumbai company | Bombay News

Mumbai: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday arrested a deputy registrar and inspector of the Registrar of Companies (ROC) in Pune, accusing him of demanding and accepting bribe from a company based in Mumbai.

Ajay Pawar, an official of India’s Corporate Law Department in 2016, was apprehended in his office during a sting operation when he allegedly received ₹3 lakh, the remainder of one ₹6 lakh bribe he had demanded from the director of a Mumbai company. The payment was allegedly made in exchange for favorable treatment in an ongoing ROC investigation against the company.

According to the CBI, Pawar had earlier agreed ₹3 lakh as part payment on October 7. The complainant said Pawar had initially demanded ₹30 lakh, which was traded up to ₹5 lakh, but later increased to ₹6 lakh after receiving the initial amount.

A special court in Mumbai remanded Pawar to CBI custody till Saturday. The agency launched the sting operation following a complaint filed by the firm on October 11.

The CBI on Wednesday registered a case against Pawar under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, which relates to public servants demanding undue advantage. The complainant, a company dealing in gold and precious metals, alleged that Pawar had demanded a bribe in connection with an investigation initiated by the Pune ROC.

According to the complaint, Pawar issued an order on August 2 under the Companies Act, 2013, addressed to the company and its director. He then summoned the company’s auditors, as well as all current and former directors, to appear before him on September 5. When the company’s company secretary (CS) and a chartered accountant met Pawar, he allegedly indirectly demanded a bribe to favor the company in the ROC probe.

The complaint further alleged that Pawar later requested ₹30 lakh from the SC. On September 23, Pawar allegedly threatened the company director with heavy sanctions and action against all directors, after which the director agreed to pay ₹5 lakh following negotiations.

“Later, after negotiation, the accused increased the bribe demand to ₹6 lakh and demanded that the remaining bribe amount be ₹3 lakh be paid to him, instead of ₹2 lakh as he had demanded earlier,” a CBI source said.