Hyderabad: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered three FIRs alleging a wide-ranging conspiracy involving officials of the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO) in Visakhapatnam, intermediaries and applicants across multiple states.The cases, registered on June 16 by the agency’s anti-corruption unit in Visakhapatnam, accuse senior PESO officials of accepting bribes in the form of cash, gold, bank transfers and even travel-related expenses in exchange for granting or renewing explosive licences, conducting inspections and processing approvals linked to gas tankers, fuel stations and other regulated activities.The FIRs name three senior officials — Jyotirmoy Sarkar, then deputy chief controller of explosives; Susanta Kumar Bhole, controller of explosives; and Jai Nandan Mishra, deputy controller of explosives.Pendyala Varaha Narasimha Murthy has been named in all three cases as a key intermediary who allegedly facilitated payments and acted as a conduit between applicants and officials.In the first FIR, the CBI alleges that Sarkar conspired with Murthy to obtain undue advantage from applicants seeking approvals. According to investigators, more than Rs 4.4 lakh was transferred during 2024 to the bank account of Sarkar’s son, Rounak Sarkar, apart from cash payments allegedly received by the accused.The FIR also alleges that Murthy facilitated a payment of Rs 40,000 towards the purchase of an air-conditioner through accounts linked to Wishtown Electronics, a firm legally registered as Shivay Enterprises in Noida.The FIR further refers to SLV Enterprises in Anantapur, represented by Ashok Dalavai, who allegedly arranged flight tickets, hotel accommodation and vehicle facilities for Sarkar and his wife. Sarkar is accused of agreeing to accept Rs 1.5 lakh in return for approving the firm’s pending work.The second FIR names Bhole, Murthy, Nammi Appala Satyanarayana and Nammi Appala Hari Prasad Yadav, among others. Bhole is alleged to have used multiple intermediaries to collect bribes in cash, gold and digital transfers routed through consultancy accounts, including those linked to Vasantha Krishna Consultancy. According to the CBI, Bhole showed favour in approximately 129 licence-related works and received about Rs 12.8 lakh as illegal gratification. In one instance, intermediaries allegedly purchased gold jewellery worth around Rs 9 lakh and delivered it to Bhole. Applicants were reportedly instructed to route payments through designated intermediaries to conceal the transactions.The third FIR alleges that Mishra conspired with Murthy to receive undue advantage in connection with licence renewals and related approvals. Investigators claim that more than Rs 3.36 lakh was received through Murthy in relation to approximately 141 works.The agency alleges that payments were either made in cash or transferred to the bank account of Mishra’s son, Rahul Jai Nandan Mishra. The FIR cites multiple transactions during 2024 from accounts linked to Murthy, including those of SM Associates. In one instance, an applicant allegedly confirmed transferring Rs 50,000 to the account of a family member of a PESO official.Wider ReachAccording to the CBI, the alleged conspiracy was centred on the PESO sub-circle office at Kirlampudi Layout in Visakhapatnam but extended to applicants and transactions across Anantapur, West Godavari, Tirupati and Chirala.The FIRs also refer to bank accounts and individuals linked to other states, underscoring the scale and reach of the alleged irregularities.
