Shimla (S Gopal Puri)
In a shocking case of bureaucratic extortion, a Himachal-based businessman exposed a bribery racket involving Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) raided the ED office in Shimla on December 25, 2024, after the businessman’s complaint. The Newz Radar (TNR) has gained exclusive details of the case.
Wife in Hospital, Extortionists Showed No Mercy
The businessman, whose wife was critically ill in the hospital, revealed that ED officials initially demanded ₹1.30 crore from him. Despite his family emergency, they allegedly settled for ₹60 lakh, and were ready of collecting the bribe amount at the hospital parking lot.
Canada registered mobile number used
The extortion operation involved a private intermediary who used a Canada-registered mobile number and encrypted WhatsApp calls to facilitate the bribe. This elaborate approach highlights the lengths the officials went to avoid detection and accountability.
ED Officials Transferred from Shimla
Following the businessman’s complaint, an FIR was filed on December 22, 2024, under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (amended in 2018). Several ED officials, including the absconding assistant director, were transferred from the Shimla office. A significant amount of cash was also recovered during the investigation.
Bureaucratic Interference Threatens Business Climate*
Entrepreneurs in Himachal Pradesh are growing increasingly concerned about bureaucratic interference and its negative impact on the state’s economic future. Allegations of harassment, politically motivated postings, and abuse of power by government officials are shaking trust within the business community.
Concerns Over posting of ODI Officials
The case has renewed BJP concerns about the deployment of officials under the Officer of Doubtful Integrity (ODI) list. BJP has raised this issue during winter session recently that such officials in health department have been deputed at sensitive postings. CM Sukhwinder Sukhu’s efforts to tackle the state’s ₹1 lakh crore debt could be jeopardized by such unchecked bureaucratic overreach.
