Chandigarh Estate Office Case: 50% bribe cut customary, accused told complainant

Amit Sharma

Chandigarh, July 24

An Estate Office employee, who has been arrested by the CBI in a graft case, had allegedly told the complainant that it was customary to pay 50 per cent of the dues, which are waived, in bribe. This was allegedly revealed in the transcripts of a purported conversation between the complainant and the employee, which is part of the CBI FIR.

The CBI caught Raj Kamal, a Dealing Assistant at the Estate Office, Sector 17, on July 22 for allegedly accepting Rs 20,000 in bribe. He was accused of demanding graft from the complainant in lieu of partly waiving the dues pending against his booth in the Sector 46 market.

The complainant had dues worth Rs 12.57 lakh and Raj Kamal is alleged to have claimed he could reduce the amount to Rs 4.75 lakh. During their purported conversation, the accused eventually lowered the bribe amount to Rs 1.40 lakht.

The CBI, in its FIR, has stated that the conversation clearly established the accused’s alleged demand for Rs 1.40 lakh in lieu of reducing the dues.

The booth in Sector 46 was allotted to the complainant’s father in 2002. The following year, his father passed away. After the death of his father, the complainant was unable to pay the full amount required for the allotment of the booth. The complainant received a notice from the Chandigarh Housing Board (CHB) regarding the dues, which he cleared. He was then informed about the dues to be paid to the Estate Office. The complainant met Raj Kamal, who handed him a handwritten slip which mentioned 12.50 lakh as the due amount.

Excerpts of the conversation

Complainant: 7.58 (referred to as Rs 7.58 lakh) mae matlab aap mota mota 4.50 ka discount dilwa rahe ho (this means approximately Rs 4.50 lakh discount)

Suspect: Kaise 12.57 ke uppar hai…12.57 mae se aap ye ghatao…12,57,971 hai na apna (The discount will be on total dues of Rs 12.57 lakh)

Complainant: Vo hi…vo hi kareeb kareeb… To issme apka kaise rahega (Yes, so how much would be your cut)

Suspect: Dekho vo ese hae yaar as per rule agar chalte hai…vo lete hai 50 per cent …Jo bhe matlab waive karte hai uska lete hai 50 per cent (50 per cent of the amount waived is charged)

Complainant: Haan (Yes)

Suspect: Baki aapke hisab se…apko kya theek lagta hai (What, according to you, is the right amount)

Complainant: To aap bata do phir mereko mai baat kar leta hu (You tell me the amount and I will see to it)

Suspect: Aap 1.40 (lakh) de dena baki aapko 3.60 ka fayda ho jayega ..or is se zyada kya ho sakta hai (Pay me Rs 1.40 lakh and the rest of Rs 3.60 after the work is done. Not more than this.)

Complainant: 1.40 aur ye dene kab padenge apko (When do I have to pay Rs 1.40 lakh)

Suspect: 60 per cent pehle baki baad mai dena (60 per cent upfront and the rest later on)