New Delhi, 26 June (H.S.):

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested the Branch Manager of Punjab National Bank's Bhadrauli Branch in Barhan, Agra district of Uttar Pradesh, on charges of accepting a bribe. The accused has been identified as Praveen Yadav.

According to the CBI, a case was registered on June 25 based on a complaint filed by an employee of a private company. The complaint alleged that the bank manager had demanded a bribe of Rs 7,000 per loan file for processing and approving around 19 loan applications related to solar panel installations.

The agency said that following negotiations, the accused agreed to accept a total bribe of Rs 52,000 for clearing all 19 loan files. The loan applications had already been sanctioned by the bank.

Acting on the complaint, the CBI laid a trap and caught the accused red-handed while he was accepting the first installment of the bribe amounting to Rs 30,000 from the complainant.

The accused will be produced before the competent court in Ghaziabad on Friday.

---------------

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar