CBI arrests postal department executive engineer while accepting Rs 1.5 lakh bribe in Prayagraj

LUCKNOW: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), Lucknow, has arrested an Executive Engineer of the Postal Department for allegedly demanding and accepting a bribe from a contractor in exchange for processing and releasing pending payments related to government construction works.According to CBI, a trap case was registered on June 3, 2026, against Ashish Agarwal, Executive Engineer (Civil), Postal Civil Division, Prayagraj, under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, as amended in 2018.The case was registered following a complaint alleging that Agarwal had demanded an undue advantage of ₹3 lakh from a contractor executing various civil works under the Postal Civil Division. The accused allegedly also compelled the complainant to pay ₹90,000 for processing and releasing pending bills amounting to approximately Rs 40 lakh.The pending payments were related to several construction projects being carried out in Kanpur Dehat, Varanasi, Akbarpur, Balrampur and Prayagraj districts.Acting on the complaint, the CBI verified the allegations and laid a trap on June 4. During the operation, the agency allegedly caught Agarwal red-handed while accepting ₹1.5 lakh as part of the demanded bribe from the complainant.Following the arrest, CBI officials took the accused into custody and initiated further legal proceedings. Searches are currently being conducted at locations linked to the accused as part of the ongoing investigation.The agency said further investigation is underway to ascertain the full extent of the alleged corruption and whether any other officials were involved in the matter.