CHENNAI: The Anti-Corruption Branch of the CBI has registered a corruption case against the Principal General Manager of Chennai BSNL official following allegations of bribery. The case was filed based on a complaint from Chief General Manager of the Kerala Telecom Circle, while the accused officer, C Rajendran, was working in Kerala.

According to the complaint, Rajendran, an Indian Telecom Service officer and former Principal GM-BSNL in Thiruvananthapuram, allegedly demanded a bribe of Rs 20 lakh from a contractor, Shril Deepak S, for clearing pending bills related to telecom infrastructure work completed in 2020.

Investigators stated that the contractor had executed BSNL projects worth approximately Rs 7.10 crore during 2017-2020. But, when the contractor approached Rajendran for processing outstanding payments, he allegedly demanded money to approve the bills.

Due to financial pressure, the contractor reportedly transferred Rs 1.90 lakh and Rs 1.10 lakh on two occasions in January 2020 to a bank account specified by Rajendran. Officials said he later demanded the remaining amount, but the contractor refused and approached authorities with supporting evidence, including recorded conversations and transaction details.

Following a preliminary enquiry, CBI-Kochi registered a case under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (as amended).