CBI busts transfer racket at Army headquarters; arrests Lt Col, middleman

The CBI has arrested a Lt Colonel and a middleman in connection with a transfer racket at the Army headquarters in which officers allegedly paid lakhs of rupees to manipulate their postings.

Lt Col Ranganathan Suvramani Moni, posted in the personnel division of the Army, and middleman Gaurav Kohli were arrested while an alleged bribe of Rs 2 lakh was changing hands for the transfer of a Bengaluru-based officer, CBI sources said today.

The investigating agency had learnt of the illicit activities of some Army officers and laid a trap to arrest the two men.

The agency busted the racket involving senior Army officers posted at its headquarters here. They were allegedly giving choice postings for "huge illegal gratification" which ran into lakhs for a single transfer, sources said.

The expose is bound to send ripples in the Army as some more senior officers are suspected to be involved in the case, CBI sources said.

The FIR also names Brigadier S K Grover, DDG Personnel, but his name has not been included in the list of accused.

The case has been registered against Moni, Hyderabad-based army officer Purshottam, Bengaluru-based barracks and stores officer (BSO) S Subhas and alleged middleman Gaurav Kohli.

The bribe was being paid through hawala channels, the CBI FIR alleged. The agency is also probing how Army officers were ready to pay lakhs of rupees to get a posting of their choice.

It is alleged that Moni entered into a criminal conspiracy with Kohli and Purshottam, an army officer posted in the engineer stores department (ESD), Kakinara, for influencing the transfer of various officers.

Purshottam allegedly contacted army officers who were either posted in different field formations or faced imminent transfer and were desirous of getting posted to their preferred locations.

He used to contact Kohli, who was close to senior officers in the personnel division of the army headquarters here.

Kohli used these contacts to pursue transfers of army officers in lieu of huge illegal gratification, the FIR said.

Purshottam allegedly requested Kohli to pursue the posting of one D S R K Reddy and Subhas in exchange for a huge bribe, it claimed. Both wanted to be posted from Bengaluru to Secunderabad or Visakhapatnam.

Moni assured he would help to get Subhas transferred through a senior officer in the army headquarters against payment of illegal gratification, it alleged.

Subhas allegedly delivered Rs 5 lakh as bribe to Kohli through hawala operators.

"...Kohli visited the residence of...Moni and conducted a meeting with some senior officers at the army headquarter in Delhi. Information also reveals that...Moni is in contact with Brigadier SK Grover DDG (Personnel) of Army Headquarter for the transfer matter of Subhas," the CBI FIR stated.

It is alleged that Rs 2 lakh was to be paid by Kohli to Moni for Subhas' transfer.