UIDAI suspends ADG level officer over corruption charges

An assistant director-general of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) was held for allegedly taking a bribe of Rs 1 lakh in his office in Delhi. The accused, Pankaj Goyal, had demanded the bribe from a complainant who had applied for Aadhaar franchise, reports Deputy News Editor, Krishnanand Tripathi.

New Delhi:The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) Tuesday suspended a senior additional director general level official posted in national capital Delhi over the charges of corruption, ETV Bharat has learnt.

“Mr Pankaj Goyal, ADG at RO, Delhi, has been suspended with immediate effect from his present position and subsequently attached to HQ without portfolio pending an inquiry in the alleged charges of corruption leading to his arrest,” a source told ETV Bharat.

Pankaj Goyal, an Indian Telecom Service officer, was Tuesday arrested from the UIDAI’ New Delhi regional office by Anti-Corruption Bureau’s (ACB) unit located in Kota, Rajasthan following a tip-off.

Bhagwan Lal Soni, the Director-General of Anti-Corruption Bureau said Goyal was caught red-handed while accepting Rs 1 lakh bribe money from a complainant whose application for getting an Aadhaar franchise was rejected by the accused official.

The person filed a complaint with the anti-corruption bureau as Goyal allegedly asked for Rs 1 lakh bribe from the complainant. Goyal was handling appointment of Aadhaar franchise for five states including Rajasthan.

Following the tip-off, Chandrasheel Thakur, additional superintendent of police of the ACB’s Kota unit verified the complaint and laid a trap for the officer’s arrest.

The ACB has registered a case against Pankaj Goyal under the provisions of Prevention of Corruption Act of 1988.

The UIDAI, which is an autonomous body floated by the Union government, suspended 43-year-old Pankaj Goyal.

“UIDAI has a zero-tolerance policy to such gross misconduct,” a source told ETV Bharat.

Uidai sources said that further action is being taken to repatriate the accused officer to his parent organisation, the telecom department.