Dhanbad, Dec. 15: The CBI today arrested a senior scientist of the Central Institute of Mining and Fuel Research (Barwa Road campus) for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 75,000 from the representative of a Calcutta-based mines safety equipment manufacturing company.

Shankar Prasad, a Grade F scientist, heads the support development and testing department of the institute and is also in charge of the design and development of mines support system wing.

The arrest followed a complaint by one Javed Khan, the branch manager of ARC Insulation and Insulator Pvt Ltd, who charged Prasad with demanding Rs 3 lakh in bribe, of which he was paying the first instalment of Rs 75,000 when the arrest took place.

The CBI team led by SP V.P. Arya later also raided Prasad’s house.

Sources said the company had officially paid Rs 33,000 to the institute along with the sample of a rod for testing in October this year. Prasad, however, allegedly refused to give a report and instead demanded Rs 5 lakh to write a positive feedback.

Prasad later settled for Rs 3 lakh. The company, meanwhile, informed the CBI about the demand.

Speaking to The Telegraph, Arya confirmed the arrest and said investigations were on.