The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested Sandeep Choudhary, a 2020-batch Indian Civil Accounts Service (ICAS) officer serving as Deputy Controller of Accounts and Internal Financial Adviser in the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B), for allegedly accepting a ₹10-lakh bribe through his wife.
The anti-corruption agency caught the officer during a covert trap operation in New Delhi after he demanded illegal gratification to clear a pending contract renewal file for a private communications firm.
Complaint Filed Over Social Media Contract Renewal
The case originated from a formal complaint lodged by Ramneek Sharma, Associate Vice President of Avian Media Pvt Ltd. The private agency held an active contract with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to manage the government’s official social media platforms. With the contract scheduled to expire on August 31, the company submitted a renewal file for processing.
During an official phone call on August 14, Choudhary allegedly demanded a ₹15-lakh bribe from the firm to grant speedy administrative clearance without creating procedural bottlenecks.
CBI Trap Catches Officer Red-Handed During Delivery
Following discreet verification of the bribery demand, the CBI registered a regular corruption case against the officer on August 18. Investigators found that after negotiations, the accused officer agreed to reduce his demand and accept ₹10 lakh in cash.
The agency laid a trap on Tuesday evening and caught Choudhary red-handed when he instructed the complainant to hand over the cash consignment to his wife.
Federal sleuths recovered the entire bribe amount on the spot and took the bureaucrat into formal custody under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
Ministry Office Searches and Broader Document Scrutiny
Immediately following the arrest, CBI search teams raided the officer’s office inside the ministry and his residential premises across the national capital. Officers seized official project files, digital communication logs, bank records, and contract documents from his desk.
Investigators are currently auditing other commercial files and vendor renewals cleared during his tenure to verify whether the financial adviser engaged in similar extortion practices with other private contractors.
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