Strictest action must be taken, no issue with timing, says Manish Sisodia on arrest of OSD

Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Friday said Delhi government officer Gopal Krishna Madhav, who was posted as his OSD and arrested in an alleged bribery case, should be punished immediately. Madhav was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in a late-night operation on Thursday for allegedly taking a bribe of over Rs 2 lakh in a matter related to the Goods and Services Tax (GST).

Delhi:Following the arrest of the official who worked as an Officer on Special Duty (OSD) in his office, Delhi's Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Friday said that he had no issue with the timing of the action against the alleged corrupt official and strict action must be taken against him to set an example.

A day after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested a Delhi, Andaman Nicobar Island Civil Services (DANICS) officer, Gopal Krishna Madhav, Sisodia said, "I got to know that an officer who is posted at GST and has been an Officer on Special Duty (OSD) with me for 5 years has been arrested for taking a bribe of Rs 2 lakhs. What CBI did is right, strictest action should be taken to set an example."

Over the question of the timing of the arrest, which comes ahead of polling for assembly elections in Delhi, Sisodia said, "I have no issues with the timing of the arrest, whoever takes bribe should be caught immediately. We have zero-tolerance for corruption."

Earlier in the day, Sisodia also took to twitter to demand strict punishment for the allegedly corrupt official.

"I have come to know that the CBI has arrested a GST inspector while he was taking bribe. This officer was also posted in my office as OSD. The CBI should immediately get him punished severely. I myself have got many such corrupt officials arrested in the last five years," Sisodia wrote on Twitter.

The CBI on Thursday arrested Madhav after he was allegedly caught red-handed while taking a bribe of Rs 2 Lakh.

According to sources, CBI laid a trap and caught him red-handed while taking a bribe to settle a tax evasion matter. Subsequently, he was taken to CBI headquarters for questioning and formally placed under arrest, told sources.

As per the Delhi government website, Madhav was appointed as an OSD to the Deputy Chief Minister in 2015. Delhi is going to polls on February 8, while the results will be declared on February 11.