The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested Lt. Col. Ranganathan Suvramani Moni, posted at the personnel division at the Army Headquarters here, for taking bribes through hawala channels to sanction transfers of Army officers to their desired location.
Lt. Col. Moni was arrested by the CBI for allegedly receiving a bribe of Rs 2 lakh from middleman Gaurav Kohli who was facilitating the transfer of Bengaluru-based Barracks and Stores Officer (BSO) S. Subhas. All three of them have been accused in the FIR along with a Hyderabad-based army officer Purshottam. The fifth name in the FIR is of Brigadier S.K. Grover, DDG Personnel, but his name has not been included in the list of accused.
According to the CBI, 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 middleman Kohli, who was close to senior officers in the personnel division of the Army Headquarters in Delhi.
According to the FIR, middleman Kohli used these contacts to pursue transfers of army officers in lieu of huge illegal gratification. 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.
Lt. Col. Moni had assured that he would help get Subhas transferred through senior officers in the Army Headuquarters against payment of illegal gratification, it alleged. Subhas allegedly delivered Rs 5 lakh as bribe to Kohli through hawala operators.
“…Kohli visited residence of…Moni and conducted a meeting with some senior officers at the Army Headquarters in Delhi. Information also reveal that…Moni is in contact with Brigadier S.K. Grover DDG (Personnel) of Army Headquarters for the transfer matter of Subhas,” the CBI FIR stated. It is alleged that Rs 2 lakh was to be paid by Kohli to Lt. Col. Moni for Subhas’ transfer.
CBI’s expose is bound to set ripples in Army circles as some more senior officers are suspected to be involved in the case, CBI sources said. CBI had been pursuing the investigation since getting air of the “transfer racket” involving senior Army officers posted at its headquarters for “huge illegal gratification” which ran into lakhs for a single transfer.