Delhi Public Works Department (PWD) engineer, Kalu Ram Meena, implicated in a bribery case with a recovered cash sum of 1.6 crores (Rs 1,60,00,000) by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

Delhi Public Works Department (PWD) engineer, Kalu Ram Meena, implicated in a bribery case with a recovered cash sum of 1.6 crores (Rs 1,60,00,000) by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has made a significant breakthrough in its fight against corruption, arresting Kalu Ram Meena, an Executive Engineer (Civil) at the Judiciary Civil Division-2 of the Delhi Public Works Department (PWD) posted at the Rouse Avenue District Court Complex.

Meena was caught red-handed while demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 30,000 from a contractor, as a 3 percent commission on the total bill value to disburse pending payments[1][2]. Following his arrest on July 30, 2025, the CBI conducted raids at his residences and offices in Delhi and Jaipur.

During the raids, the CBI uncovered Rs 1.6 crore in cash, property documents related to valuable real estate in prime locations (notably Jaipur), bank accounts with large balances, and documents linked to shell companies and suspicious financial transactions. The investigation suggests that Meena has been involved in corruption for an extended period, possibly with accomplices among other officials or contractors[1][2].

The PWD's Judiciary Civil Division-2, where Meena was posted, was handling construction projects for the sensitive Rouse Avenue District Court Complex, indicating the seriousness of corruption in a vital government infrastructure project. The investigation is ongoing to determine the full extent of the bribery network and to track all illicit assets[1][2].

In a separate incident, the CBI also apprehended a Tax Inspector and a tout middleman on July 29 for demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 70,000[1]. Meanwhile, the details about a bus collision in Jharkhand's Deoghar, which resulted in at least five Kanwariyas killed and several injured, were not provided in the given paragraph[3].

Interestingly, a few months earlier in May, the CBI found cash worth Rs 2.5 crores and multiple properties and assets from the House of BaikunthaNath Sarangi, Chief Engineer, Odisha Rural Works[4]. However, this case does not appear to be related to the one involving Kalu Ram Meena.

References: [1] https://www.outlookindia.com/newsscroll/cbi-arrests-executive-engineer-for-accepting-bribe-in-delhi-court-complex-construction/1901385 [2] https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/cbi-arrests-executive-engineer-for-accepting-bribe-of-rs-30000-1901386-2025-07-30 [3] https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/at-least-5-kanwariyas-killed-in-jharkhand-bus-collision-several-injured-2994752 [4] https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/cbi-finds-rs-25-crore-in-cash-and-multiple-properties-from-the-house-of-baikunthnath-sarangi/article31840134.ece

1. The uncovered cash, property documents, and bank accounts with large balances during the CBI raids suggest that the finance sector, including shell companies and suspicious financial transactions, may have been exploited by Kalu Ram Meena in his corrupt activities.
2. TheDefi (decentralized finance) sphere might take interest in the ongoing CBI investigation, as the arrest of a government official underscores the potential risks and consequences of corruption in market activities.
3. The discovery of large amounts of cash, property, and assets in various corruption cases raises questions about the role ofpolitics and general-news in creating an enabling environment for such activities, particularly in the context of crime-and-justice.

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