Bribe Taken to Influence Compliance Assessments and Protect Cable Operator’s Licence

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested a senior officer from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) for allegedly accepting a bribe of ₹1 lakh from a cable operator based in Himachal Pradesh. According to CBI officials, the bribe was taken in exchange for influencing regulatory assessments and protecting the operator’s licence.

The accused, identified as Rawat, is said to have demanded the bribe from a cable service provider in Sirmaur, Himachal Pradesh, who holds a licence issued by the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. Rawat allegedly sought to influence the operator’s compliance by manipulating the assessment of quarterly performance monitoring reports, which are essential for determining whether a cable operator’s licence should be accepted or revoked.

The investigation also revealed that Rawat had solicited similar bribes from at least five other licensed cable operators in the state. These actions were intended to protect their licences from potential cancellation, even if any regulatory anomalies were found during inspections.

The CBI began its probe after receiving a complaint and carried out a preliminary verification before setting a trap to apprehend the officer. Rawat was caught red-handed while accepting the ₹1 lakh bribe in his office in Delhi. Following the arrest, the CBI conducted raids at Rawat’s residences and office premises in Greater Noida and New Delhi, looking for additional evidence linked to the case.

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The arrest highlights ongoing concerns about corruption within regulatory bodies and the challenges of ensuring accountability and transparency in the process of licensing and monitoring service providers.

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