CBI books its own officer for extortion

The CBI has issued FIR against its own officer in charge of extortion after a preliminary enquiry. The officer has been demanding ₹10 crore, but after negotiation he has agreed with₹5 crore.

New Delhi: The CBI has booked its own officer for allegedly extorting ₹5 crore from a Gujarat-based businessman by threatening him with action from the Enforcement Directorate and the Income Tax department, officials said Friday.

The FIR comes after a preliminary enquiry done by the agency looking into the allegations, they said.

It is alleged that Sunil Nair, then posted as an inspector in Gandhinagar, entered into a criminal conspiracy with one Kirit Madhubhai Paladia in February last year to extort money from businessman Shailesh Bhatt, they said.

He called Bhatt at the CBI's Gandhinagar office on February 5, 2018, and allegedly threatened him with ED and I-T action for "earning black money" using bitcoin, the agency alleged.

Nair, now posted in Shillong, allegedly demanded ₹10 crore to remain silent on the alleged black money issue which was brought down to ₹5 crore in negotiations, they said.

Over the next few days, Nair kept making demands for the payment at times using landline phone of the CBI office, the FIR alleged.

Later, Bhatt made the payment in two tranches of ₹4 crore and ₹60 lakh, it claimed.

It said neither Bhatt was probed in any case pertaining to bitcoin nor Bhatt was a wanted accused, witness or suspect, in any case.