New Delhi, July 23: A top official of Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited was arrested by CBI in Mumbai for allegedly accepting a bribe and over Rs 46 lakh recovered from his residence during searches. Deputy general manager (electrical) S C Verma was arrested yesterday for allegedly demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 24,000 from an electrical contractor, a CBI FIR said here.

The MTNL official allegedly demanded money from the contractor for regularising additional work executed at different sites and as 'percentage' of the regular work being executed by him in the past, a CBI spokesman said here today. The official had demanded and accepted a bribe of Rs 5,000 from the same contractor earlier also and threatened to withhold the contractor's payments if he did not pay Rs 24,000, the spokesman said.

CBI sleuths laid a trap and Verma was caught red-handed with the Rs 24,000 that he accepted from the complainant, the spokesman said.

Later, searches were carried out at his residence during which the CBI claimed to have recovered Rs 46.86 lakh in cash, besides bank balance and deposits worth Rs 11 lakh. Bureau Report