CHANDIGARH – In a major embarrassment for the state’s premier anti-corruption agency, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has busted a sophisticated bribery and extortion racket operating directly out of the Punjab Vigilance Bureau headquarters.
The CBI has registered a formal First Information Report (FIR) under the Prevention of Corruption Act and the Indian Penal Code (IPC) against O.P. Rana, Reader to the Director General of Vigilance; a father-son duo acting as middlemen; and an associate.
The investigation has revealed a sensational modus operandi where fake corruption complaints were manufactured to terrorize government officials into paying millions in protection money.
The Modus Operandi: Fabricated Cases and Psychological Warfare
According to the CBI FIR, the syndicate operated a highly calculated, multi-step extortion ring designed to trap unsuspecting government employees.
The racket came to light following a formal complaint on May 8 by State Tax Officer Amit Kumar. The investigation revealed that the syndicate had drafted a completely fabricated complaint alleging that Kumar possessed Disproportionate Assets (DA).
To force Kumar’s compliance, the accused utilized deep-seated insider access:
-
The Inside Hand: On April 29, Reader O.P. Rana allegedly abused his official position by bringing Kumar directly into the Vigilance Bureau headquarters in Mohali.
-
The “Confidential” Scare: Kumar was shown a highly sensitive, allegedly leaked investigation report sourced from the Director General’s office to convince him that an official inquiry was imminent.
-
The Demand: Once the psychological pressure was applied, middlemen Raghav Goyal and Vikas (alias Vicky) Goyal stepped in. Claiming close proximity to Vigilance Director General Sharad Satya Chauhan, they demanded ₹1.3 million (Rs 13 lakh) in cash and an expensive smartphone to permanently close the “pending” file.
The Religious Cover: Gaining Proximity to Power
CBI intelligence sources have dropped a further bombshell regarding how the middlemen managed to operate so freely within the high-security bureaucracy.
The Goyals reportedly used religious pretexts to build unvetted intimacy with senior officials. Presenting themselves as devout followers of Balaji Salasar, they frequently gifted religious flags and offerings to top brass, using faith as a camouflage to build rapport, gain easy access to departments, and deflect suspicion.
High-Drama Highway Chase and Red-Handed Arrests
Following Kumar’s complaint, the CBI laid a meticulously planned trap on May 11 at a hotel in Chandigarh.
| Accused | Role in Syndicate | Current Status |
| Ankit Wadhwa | Associate / Collector | Arrested red-handed at the scene. |
| Raghav Goyal | Middleman (Father) | Arrested near Ambala after a highway pursuit. |
| Vikas “Vicky” Goyal | Middleman (Son) | Arrested near Ambala after a highway pursuit. |
| O.P. Rana | Reader to DG Vigilance | Absconding; active manhunt underway. |
During the sting operation, Ankit Wadhwa was caught red-handed accepting the marked ₹1.3 million cash and the mobile phone from the complainant. Realizing the trap had sprung, the Goyal father-son duo attempted a high-speed escape from the venue but were intercepted by CBI teams near Ambala. O.P. Rana managed to evade arrest and remains at large.
Midnight Raids and a Expanding Probe
Following the arrests, CBI teams launched an aggressive, late-night raid on the Punjab Vigilance Bureau headquarters in Mohali, seizing a massive cache of digital and physical files.
Subsequent raids across multiple locations on the following day yielded an additional ₹900,000 in unaccounted cash alongside highly sensitive documents. Security guards assigned to the headquarters have also been summoned for questioning to determine how deeply the security compromise ran.
The arrested father and son were produced before a special CBI court, which remanded them to three days of CBI custody. As primary evidence, the agency submitted a damning 12-page WhatsApp chat transcript detailing the extortion negotiations.
Tip of the Iceberg
CBI sources indicate that this was not an isolated incident. Preliminary forensic analysis has already uncovered at least eight other fraudulent complaints generated by the exact same network. Investigators believe the syndicate may have successfully extorted millions from various other state officials who chose to pay rather than face career-ending public scrutiny.
The CBI’s hunt for the absconding reader, O.P. Rana, intensifies as investigators look to ascertain if higher-ranking officials were wittingly or unwittingly involved in the racket.
Leave a Reply