NDA job scam: Establishment section head in CBI custody

CBI Special Judge D R Mahajan on Tuesday remanded a civilian official,Suhas Waghmare,the head of the establishment section of the National Defence Academy (NDA) in two-day CBI custody. Waghmare was arrested on Monday in connection with the alleged scam in recruitment of Class IV employees at NDA.

CBI special prosecutor Vivek Saxena told the court that Waghmare was in charge of all recruitment at NDA. “The CBI wants to investigate the money allegedly received by Waghmare for 15 prospective applicants. The CBI also wants to confront him with the other six accused arrested in connection with this scam and to seize some more documents from him,” Saxena told the court seeking his remand. “The establishment department at NDA is involved in issuing advertisements,collecting applications,preparing applicants’ list and sending letters to successful applicants,” said senior CBI officials. The court granted CBI custody of Waghmare till June 28.

On Saturday,the CBI had arrested Colonel Kulbir Singh,a staff officer to the NDA commandant,and five others Balkishan Kanojia,Vishnu Prasad Sharma,Dattatray Shitkar,Manoj Shitkal and Ramesh Gaikwad. CBI sources said Waghmare’s arrest would unearth more links in the alleged scam.

The accused had allegedly taken signatures of those candidates who had agreed to pay them bribe on blank answer sheets and later filled them with correct answers through fraudulent means,the CBI officials said. While Rs 4 lakh was seized from the residence of Col Singh,another Rs 82 lakh was seized from the residence of an associate of the Army officer who was still being quizzed. Rs 50 lakh in cash was recovered from Kanojia and Rs 18 lakh from Gaikwad’s residence,and the remaining Rs 3 lakh and Rs 3.20 lakh were recovered from Manoj Sheetal Kar and Vishnu Sharma’s residences respectively,according to the investigators.