NEW DELHI – The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Anti-Corruption-II branch in New Delhi, has registered a Regular Case against a retired Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) of the CBI and a retired General Manager of Northern Coalfields Limited (NCL) for their alleged roles in a criminal conspiracy involving the exchange of massive bribes .
The FIR, numbered RC2172026A0001, was registered on January 9, 2026, following an internal investigation that revealed a web of corruption designed to protect coal officials from legal scrutiny .
The Key Accused
The CBI has named several high-profile individuals and private middlemen in the FIR:
- Joy Joseph Damle: Retired DSP, CBI, ACB, Jabalpur.
- Sayed Ghori: Retired General Manager, Northern Coalfields Ltd. (NCL), Singrauli.
- Ravi Shankar Singh: A private person from Singrauli who allegedly acted as a middleman.
- Kumar Diwesh Singh and Ramesh Jain: Private individuals accused of abetting the commission of these offences.
The Bribery Allegations
The case stems from allegations that Joy Joseph Damle, while serving as a DSP in Jabalpur, conspired with NCL officials and private middlemen to accept illegal gratification . The primary goal was to prevent the registration of a Disproportionate Assets (DA) case against Sayed Ghori and to extend undue favors to other NCL officers.
The investigation highlighted several specific instances of bribery:
More Read
- ₹15 Lakh Demand: Damle and an Inspector, U.P. Singh, allegedly demanded ₹15 lakhs from a PA to Sayed Ghori to avoid his implication in a trap case .
- ₹10 Lakh Nagpur Delivery: In July 2024, a businessman in Nagpur, acting on instructions from Ramesh Jain, allegedly delivered ₹10 lakhs in cash to a person using a mobile number later recovered from Damle’s possession .
- Payments via Middlemen: Other officials allegedly paid smaller sums, including ₹2 lakhs from a Finance Manager, delivered via Kumar Diwesh Singh .
- Rail Station Handoff: A sum of ₹5 lakhs was reportedly delivered at the Jabalpur railway station for another CBI inspector .
Digital and Physical Evidence
The FIR notes that investigators have obtained call recorded conversations and hotel records that prima-facie corroborate the delivery of illegal gratification . Mobile tracking data placed suspects near the alleged bribe delivery locations in Jabalpur .
Legal Charges
The accused have been booked under:
- Section 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023: Criminal Conspiracy.
- Sections 7, 7A, and 12 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (as amended in 2018): Pertaining to public servants taking bribes, inducing public servants, and abetment.
The investigation has been entrusted to Akshay Dhope, Inspector of Police, CBI, AC-II, New Delhi.
