IMPHAL: Sleuths of the central bureau of investigation (CBI), on Tuesday (May 2), searched the residences of the suspended SP and inspector of the national investigation agency (NIA), who were booked in an extortion case.
The CBI booked NIA SP Vishal Garg and inspector Rajib Khan, both posted in Imphal, for allegedly collecting “huge amounts of money” from Manipur residents by ‘threatening’ to falsely implicate them in NIA cases.
According to reports, the CBI conducted searches in at least three locations in connection with the case on Tuesday (May 2).
The searched locations include residences of suspended NIA SP Vishal Garg at Faridabad in Haryana and inspector Rajib Khan at Imphal in Manipur.
The CBI sleuths seized many ‘incriminating’ records following the searches at the residences of the NIA SP and inspector at Faridabad and Imphal in Manipur respectively.
It may be mentioned here that the CBI will also issue notices to the people, who were allegedly ‘forced’ to pay extortion money to the suspended NIA officers.
Also read: Manipur: CBI books NIA SP, inspector in extortion case
The two accused officials of the NIA allegedly used to summoned people in Imphal – capital of Manipur – on the pretext of questioning them but instead extorted money from them.
The CBI registered the case after receiving a complaint, a copy of which is now part of the FIR, from Sudhanshu Shekhar Shukla, deputy superintendent, NIA headquarters in New Delhi.
Shukla said in the complaint, “Information was received from sources that then Imphal SP Garg, along with Inspector Rajib Khan, was collecting a huge amount of money from residents of Manipur by threatening to falsely implicate them in NIA cases.”
Last month, Garg was suspended on the recommendation of NIA director general Dinkar Gupta following a complaint of bribery against the officer.
Notably, Garg was part of the team that investigated Hindutva terror cases and was directly involved in the probes into the 2007 Samjhauta Express blasts and the Mecca Masjid blasts of Hyderabad.
Garg belonged to the BSF but was absorbed into the NIA in 2015.