The CBI has arrested five people, including its own deputy superintendent of police and two officials of the Northern Coalfields Limited (NCL), in Madhya Pradesh's Singrauli in a corruption and bribery case.

NCL is a 'Mini Ratna' company under the Coal Ministry.

The federal probe agency conducted searches in connection with the case on August 17 in Singrauli and Jabalpur, apart from Noida in Uttar Pradesh.

The premises of various officials of the NCL, a 'Mini Ratna' company under the Coal Ministry, including that of Subedar Ojha, Private Secretary to CMD NCL and manager (secretariat), former NCL CMD Bhola Singh, its present chief vigilance officer (CVO)and some other senior officers were searched, official sources said.

The sources said five people have been arrested by the CBI.

Those who have been arrested are deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Joy Joseph Damle, posted at CBI anti-corruption branch at Jabalpur; Subedar Ojha; Lt Col (retired) Basant Kumar Singh, chief manager administration at NCL, Singrauli; Ravi Shankar Singh, alleged middleman and director of Sangam Engineering in Singrauli and his associate Dinesh Singh.

A Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) spokesperson said Rs 3.85 crore in cash was recovered from Ojha's residence.

"This amount was allegedly amassed from several contractors and officials in lieu of favours for their operations in NCL, Singrauli," the spokesperson said.

He added that Ravi Shankar Singh was allegedly acting as a "conduit" between various contractors, businessmen and several officials of NCL, facilitating and delivering "bribes".

The CBI spokesperson said that Diwesh Singh was arrested "red handed" while delivering a Rs 5 lakh "bribe" to Damle in lieu of obtaining a favourable report in matters of complaints and investigation pending against them and being conducted by the probe agency.

"It was alleged that on August 16, on the instructions of Ravi Shankar Singh, Ajay Verma, an employee of Ravi Singh, collected Rs 5 lakh from Lt Col (retd) Basant Kumar Singh.

"The bribe amount was allegedly sent by Subedar Ojha. On August 17, Ravi Shankar Singh instructed Diwesh Singh to deliver this amount to DSP Damle," the spokesperson said.

The CBI also seized digital devices and "incriminating" documents during the searches.

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