A defence auditor was implicated in a Rs 10 lakh bribery scandal for facilitating a payment of Rs 56 crore to a drone company.

New Delhi: A bribery controversy involving a demand of Rs 10 lakh to settle a payment of Rs 55.96 crore for a drone manufacturing company has implicated a senior auditor from the Principal Controller of Defence Accounts (PCDA), Ministry of Defence. Following a sting operation that revealed the illegal transaction, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) detained three people, including the owner of a defense supplier company and the auditor.

The case was became public after Raphe mPhibr, a business that provided the Indian Army with Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) in 2023, claimed that payments against their invoices were being purposefully delayed. On February 7, Varun Narang, the senior vice president of the company, filed a formal complaint (FIR) claiming that the auditor had demanded a bribe in return for releasing the outstanding payments. Narang sought the CBI with permission from the firm's chairman and director, Vikash Mishra, which resulted in a clandestine operation.

Bribery Captured on Video
When one of the accused accepted an installment of Rs 8 lakh for the bribe, CBI officers set up a trap and nabbed him red-handed. Later, Akash Kapoor, the owner of Akash Polytechnic Pvt Ltd, and accused auditor Deep Narayan Yadav were taken into custody.

The CBI inquiry report claims that Narang spoke with Yadav over the phone, and that the exchange was recorded. Yadav specifically requested Rs 10 lakh to process the company's invoices during the call. He consented to accept Rs 8 lakh up front and gave the complainant instructions to arrange the balance Rs 2 lakh later. Investigators verified that the bribe was required to process future bills as well as to settle outstanding payments.

Extortion and Threats
Yadav had threatened to withhold future payments if the bribe was not made, according to Narang's accusation. The business escalated the situation to police enforcement as a result of the pressure tactics. The CBI is looking into whether similar extortion efforts were made with other defense suppliers and has now charged the defendants under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

Consequences for Defense Acquisition
Due to bribery demands made against companies that provide vital equipment to the Indian Armed Forces, this case raises questions regarding corruption in the defense procurement system. Stricter control and accountability in government financial transactions are desperately needed, as the occurrence has spurred debates over the accuracy of financial audits in defense payments.

It is anticipated that the accused will appear in court, where the CBI will request additional research into the PCDA office's wider corruption network. In order to prevent suppliers that cooperate with national security agencies from engaging in unethical actions, defense authorities have promised that strict action will be taken against anyone implicated in bribery and extortion.

Follow cyberdeepakyadav.com on

 Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube