New Delhi: Two individuals, including a Passport assistant stationed at the Passport Seva Kendra in Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh, were apprehended by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Monday. They were arrested on charges of soliciting a bribe in exchange for issuing passports. The accused were identified as Ankush Kumar, an assistant at the Passport Seva Kendra, and Farhan, a private individual.
The incident came to light when Abhishek Kumar, a resident of Mirzatilla in Muzaffarnagar, lodged a complaint with the CBI on July 4. Abhishek stated that he had applied for a passport online on May 1 at the passport office in Muzaffarnagar. He had completed the necessary procedures, including document submission, on June 19 and visited the office on July 3 to inquire about the status of his passport.
During his visit, Ankush and Farhan allegedly demanded a bribe of ₹5,000 from Abhishek. They informed him that his passport would be delivered to his home within 10 days if he paid the bribe otherwise, his application would face delays. Abhishek had already paid the required passport fee and thus refused to pay the bribe.
The Passport Seva Kendra in Muzaffarnagar functions as an extension desk of the passport office in Ghaziabad. Acting on the complaint, the CBI set up a trap and apprehended the accused individuals while they were accepting the bribe of ₹5,000.
A CBI official confirmed that searches were conducted at the residential premises of the arrested individuals. The investigation into the matter is ongoing.
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