The CBI has apprehended CA Vikas Aggarwal of Chandigarh for solicitation of a bribe of Rs 150,000 in return for a positive stock audit report. Mr Aggarwal is reportedly on the stock auditor’s panel maintained by the Canara Bank.
He was subsequently charged and taken into judicial custody by a Special CBI judge. Various undisclosed documents were also seized from Aggarwal’s residence, following a complaint made by Suraj Sharma, a proprietor of a private advertising and artwork firm in Sector 20.
“On receiving a bribe demand of Rs 1.50 lakh from Aggarwal, Sharma resisted. Aggarwal agreed to a cash payment of Rs 50,000, with the balance Rs 1 lakh to be deposited into his bank account. Unwilling to succumb, Sharma lodged a complaint with the CBI. Consequently, Aggarwal was apprehended in Mohali while taking the bribe.”
According to Sharma’s complaint, Aggarwal claimed he was appointed by the Zonal Office of Canara Bank for stock audit. He then demanded a bribe of Rs 1.50 lakh for providing a beneficial report for Sharma’s firm. Though the bribe sum was negotiated, Aggarwal agreed to accept Rs 50,000 in cash and insisted the remaining Rs 1 lakh be deposited in his bank account.
Ref: Indian Express dated 20/09/2023