The CBI uncovers a plot to sell Rajya Sabha seats for Rs 100 crore

• Image Credit: Internet

• Jul 25, 2022 | Sourav Boruah

Digital Desk: Four
people were detained by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) after it
allegedly attempted to defraud a group of individuals by promising them seats
in the Rajya Sabha in exchange for Rs100 crore.

In addition to Rajya
Sabha seats, the accused individuals allegedly pledged to set up governorships
and chairmanships of several government organisations in exchange for bribery.

Those identified in
the first information report (FIR), submitted on July 15 and examined by HT,
include Mahendra Pal Arora, Abhishek Boora, and Mohammed Aijaz Khan of
Delhi-NCR, Kamalakar Premkumar Bandgar of Latur, Maharashtra, and Ravindra
Vithal Naik of Belgaum, Karnataka.

According to the FIR,
Bandgar displayed his connections with powerful officials while posing as a
senior CBI officer. He then requested any kind of job from Boora, Arora, Khan,
and Naik in exchange for payment of enormous unlawful gratification.

According to the CBI,
the accused banded together with "the single ulterior motive of cheating
private persons by falsely assuring them for arrangement of seats in Rajya
Sabha, appointment as governor, and appointment as chairman in different
government-run organisations under central government ministries and
departments against significant financial consideration."

According to data
acquired by the central agency, Boora and Bandgar discussed how to take
advantage of the latter's alleged connections to powerful individuals who are
crucial to appointment decisions.

The FIR claimed that
the accused were trying to defraud people by falsely promising them a seat in
the Rajya Sabha in exchange for a large sum of money totaling 100 crores.

The agency claimed that Bandgar, Arora, Khan, and Naik
frequently mentioned influential political figures and senior bureaucrats when
clients approached them for work, either directly or through a middleman like
Abhishek Boora.

The FIR claimed that Bandgar pretended to be a senior CBI
officer and threatened police officers at several police stations to do favours
for people he knew or to sway investigations into open cases.

The accused have been detained on charges of fraud, criminal
conspiracy, and anti-corruption law.