Govt officers using a PSOI caterer's service for Hawala transfers: CBI

The CBI has stumbled upon hawala records showing government officials were allegedly transferring money abroad using the illicit channel during its searches at the premises of a caterer at Palika Services Officers Institute arrested by the agency, officials said claiming it to be a major racket.

During the searches today, the agency recovered 20 high-end Rolex watches, Rs 80 lakh cash and Rs 1.6 crore worth jewellery from a cupboard in the office of caterer Rakesh Tiwari, who runs a canteen at PSOI, Chankyapuri, a known waterhole for government officers, they said, adding Rs 2.86 crore was recovered yesterday.

The agency has also arrested Neeraj Kochar, owner of Viraj Profiles, who was allegedly using services of Tiwari for influencing CBI officers probing a corruption case against an Indian Revenue Officer in which Kochar is also an accused, they said.

The agency raided today the offices of caterer Tiwari in PSOI, Chankyapuri and recovered entries of hawala transactions from the cupboard which allegedly show that several officers were using his services to transfer funds abroad illegally, they said.

The CBI had arrested Tiwari yesterday for allegedly attempting to dilute the corruption case probe in return of a bribe of Rs 35 lakh, officials said.

The role of some CBI officers is also under the scanner of the agency, they said.

Tiwari, who was arrested was receiving Rs 15 lakh as second installment of the total bribe from a hawala dealer of old Delhi, they said.

It is alleged that the CBI, while probing a corruption case against Vivek Batra, an IRS officer, had called for questioning the owner, Neeraj Raja Kochar, and employees of a company, Viraj Profiles, in which he is understood to have invested his ill-gotten wealth, they said.

Tiwari was in touch with Kochar for facilitating "relief" and providing case-related "sensitive information" to him, they said.

The agency has alleged that Tiwari accepted huge illegal gratification from Kochar to induce and influence CBI officers using his personal connections, they said.

The alleged bribe of Rs 20 lakh was given to Tiwari by Kochar through a "hawala" operator in Chandni Chowk, Kamal Ahmed, on August 2, they said.

When he received Rs 15 lakh as second installment of the bribe, he was arrested by the CBI.

"Information has further revealed Rakesh Tiwari is also in contact with officers working in AC-III branch of the CBI," the FIR alleged.