Assam: CBI arrests National Highways official on bribery charges

Guwahati: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested Maisnam Riten Kumar Singh, Executive Director and Regional Officer of the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL), Assam's Guwahati, for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs. 10 lakh.
A private individual was also taken into custody in connection with the case.

The senior NHIDCL official was caught red-handed on Tuesday evening during a CBI trap while allegedly demanding and accepting the bribe in exchange for issuing a favourable extension of time (EOT) and completion certificate for a highway construction project.

The project involves the four-laning of National Highway-37 from Demow to the end of the Moran Bypass in Assam, among other contracts managed by the same company.

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Following the arrests, the CBI conducted extensive searches at seven locations across India, including the residences and offices of the accused. During the raids, officials recovered Rs. 2.62 crore in cash from the NHIDCL officer’s Guwahati residence.

Preliminary investigations revealed massive disproportionate assets held by the officer, including nine landed properties and 20 apartments across India registered in the names of the accused and family members. High-end vehicles and related documents were also seized during the searches.

The case was registered based on specific source information, leading to the coordinated trap and arrests. Investigations are ongoing to verify the ownership and value of the movable and immovable assets identified so far.

The arrested NHIDCL officer and the private individual are scheduled to be produced before the Court of the Special Judge for CBI Cases in Guwahati today.