The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested a man accused of posing as an official of the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying and allegedly demanding bribes from applicants seeking loans under the Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund (AHIDF).
According to a CBI statement, the accused, identified as Prabhu Dayal, allegedly impersonated Rishi Gupta, claiming to be an official posted at the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying in Krishi Bhawan, New Delhi.
The case was registered by the CBI's Anti-Corruption Branch in Dehradun on June 29 following a complaint from a poultry farm owner in Uttarakhand's Udham Singh Nagar district.
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The complainant alleged that the accused demanded Rs 45,000, equivalent to 2% of the Rs 22.5 lakh loan amount, for clearing his loan application submitted through the Udyami Mitra (SIDBI) portal under the AHIDF scheme.
The CBI said it laid a trap on June 29, during which the accused allegedly accepted Rs 5,000 as the first instalment through a QR code shared with the complainant.
Investigators initially arrested another private individual on June 30 after tracing the QR code and bank account used in the transaction. During questioning, however, the agency found that the person was not the main accused, while the alleged impersonator remained absconding, according to the CBI.
The agency said its investigation revealed that the accused had access to details of AHIDF loan applications and allegedly contacted numerous applicants daily, demanding money by claiming their loans could otherwise be rejected or delayed.
According to the CBI, the accused routed payments through multiple UPI-linked bank accounts and frequently changed his location across Delhi, Agra and Jaipur to avoid detection.
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After analysing call detail records, bank accounts, IP addresses linked to loan applications and examining officials from SIDBI and the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, investigators traced the accused to his residence in Agra district of Uttar Pradesh, where he was arrested on July 19, the agency said.
Searches at his residence led to the seizure of incriminating documents and other material, the CBI said, adding that the accused will be produced before the competent court in Dehradun. The investigation is ongoing.
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