CBI-IPS: What is this relationship called?
CBI is maintaining a brotherly relationship with IPS officers.
Inder Vashisth
The CBI, which has earned the title of "caged parrot" from the Supreme Court, has also reprimanded the Supreme Court, stating that the investigating agency must break free from this old image of a caged parrot and prove its impartiality. Despite this, the CBI does not appear to be operating in an independent, impartial, and transparent manner. To be impartial, impartiality must be visible.
These days, the CBI is not officially informing the media about even the arrests of corrupt Delhi Police officers. By doing so, the CBI is, in a way, trying to hide the sins of corrupt officers.
The CBI has been taken aback by the involvement of IPS officers in corruption cases. Instead of honestly performing its duties, the CBI appears to be maintaining a brotherly relationship with IPS officers. The CBI's silence casts doubt on its role. In the past month, four cases of arrests of corrupt Delhi Police officers have been reported. In the cases of Inspector Pradeep Singh and Inspector Subhash Yadav, IPS officers are also said to be involved. The CBI did not officially inform the media about the arrests of the accused in all four cases. The biggest question is that if the CBI is not even officially disclosing information about the arrests of the inspectors, then one can only imagine how it will conduct the investigation against IPS officers. The CBI is forgetting that only by publicizing the arrests of corrupt officers as much as possible will people's trust in the CBI increase. Only then will more people show the courage to get corrupt officers arrested.
On June 8, the CBI arrested Inspector Pradeep Singh of the Delhi Police, Crime Branch on charges of accepting a bribe of ₹1 crore. Inspector Pradeep's godfather, a senior IPS officer, had demanded a bribe of ₹3 crore from N. Raja, an accused in a CBI case. This senior IPS officer claimed to have saved the accused through his connections, influence, and collusion within the CBI. The CBI FIR provided detailed information about Inspector Pradeep, N. Raja, the accused in the CBI case, and his associate Rajkumar. On May 14, 2026, Inspector Pradeep took both of them to the office of his superior, a senior government official. The senior officer assured N. Raja of protection in the CBI case. He demanded a bribe of ₹3 crore, including an advance of ₹1.5 crore. Despite this, the CBI did not mention the senior officer's name in the FIR, instead naming an unknown senior government official. The CBI had such solid information that the money would be obtained through hawala and delivered to Inspector Pradeep in Delhi on June 8th. Based on this information, the CBI arrested Inspector Pradeep and middleman Rajkumar. In such a situation, would the CBI, considered the most powerful in the country, not have known the name of the Inspector's IPS officer before registering the FIR? No one would believe this. This suggests that the CBI deliberately omitted his name from the FIR. If the CBI's intentions are completely correct and clear, then it should explain why the IPS officer's name was not included in the FIR and why Inspector Pradeep's arrest was not officially announced. Head Constable Ajay, posted in the Anti-Narcotics Cell of Dwarka district, was arrested by the CBI on April 21, 2026, while accepting a bribe of ₹2 lakh. Over ₹4.8 million was recovered from the cell's office. The CBI had reported the head constable's arrest. But the CBI did not arrest Inspector Subhash Yadav of the Narcotics Cell at that time. Police rumors suggest that Inspector Subhash was shielded from arrest by his godfather, an IPS officer. This cast doubt on the CBI's role. As the case escalated, the CBI arrested Inspector Subhash Yadav on May 11th.
There have been reports of Inspector Subhash's assets/transactions worth ₹100 crore and his nexus with several IPS officers. The CBI did not officially inform the media of Inspector Subhash's arrest. The CBI should explain why Inspector Subhash Yadav was not arrested on April 21st. Whether any IPS officers are involved in this case or not. On June 10th, the CBI registered a case against ASI Shiv Prakash and Sub-Inspector Arvind Singh, posted at the Hari Nagar Cyber Police Station in West Delhi, for demanding a bribe of ₹20 lakh by threatening to arrest a person from Rajasthan. The CBI did not disclose the number of police officers arrested in this case. On June 5th, the CBI arrested Sub-Inspector Sachin and Head Constable Praveen Kutel, posted at the Amar Colony Police Station, red-handed while accepting a bribe. In this case, the CBI did not officially report the arrests of the police officers. On the other hand, on June 6th, the CBI officially announced the arrest of ASI Hitesh Kumar of Sector 39 Police Station in Chandigarh for accepting a bribe of ₹40,000. This exposes the discrimination practiced by the CBI between police and police. Inspector Subhash Yadav is also said to be a close associate of the then Dwarka District DCP, M. Harsh Vardhan (now in the CBI). This is the same Harsh Vardhan who, in July 2024, arrested an innocent driver in connection with the deaths caused by rainwater flooding a coaching center in Rajendra Nagar. The driver was accused of causing the water to enter the coaching center while driving. The court severely reprimanded the police for this act. This case exposed Harsh Vardhan's investigative capabilities. The appointment of such an IPS officer to the CBI also raises questions about the CBI's officer selection process. However, the truth is that Inspector Subhash cannot have just one godfather. IPS Shankar Chaudhary has already been exposed. The then DCP, Santosh Meena, first posted Subhash Yadav in the Nigerian-dominated Mohan Garden area. This area is a hub of drug dealers and a source of significant revenue for the police. The lure of substantial revenue from this area drew IPS officer Shankar Chaudhary from Mizoram.
IPS officers either colluded with Inspector Subhash, or these IPS officers were so incompetent, naive, and foolish that their subordinate inspector extorted huge sums from drug smugglers for years without them even noticing. In either case, strict action must be taken against these officers. Inspector Subhash flourished under the tutelage of IPS officers Santosh Meena, Shankar Chaudhary, M Harsh Vardhan, and Ankit Kumar Singh, who served as DCPs in Dwarka district. If the Home Minister truly wants to free the police from corruption and control crime and criminals, he should launch a strong crackdown on the IPS-inspector nexus. He should not delay in sending IPS officers who colluded with the inspector to jail. After this matter came to light, Special Police Commissioner (Law and Order Zone 2) Madhup Tiwari was transferred to Arunachal Pradesh with immediate effect on May 2nd. He was not given any post. This only strengthened the speculation that his removal was due to his connection to the Inspector Subhash scandal. If Madhup Tiwari was indeed removed for this reason, then why hasn't any strict action been taken against him? By merely transferring him, the Home Ministry has, in a way, only protected him. Dwarka district was under the jurisdiction of Special Commissioner Madhup Tiwari. Tiwari had previously served as Joint Commissioner of Police of the Western Range. A few years ago, when Tiwari was in the CBI, the CBI sent him back to his cadre before his deputation was complete. If the CBI abandons its fraternal attitude towards IPS officers and conducts an honest and impartial investigation, the IPS officers who were Inspector Subhash Yadav's superiors could also be exposed. The Delhi Police registered an FIR against former Dwarka DCP Shankar Chaudhary on February 5, 2026. He faces the sensational allegation of illegally confining a foreign national, a drug dealer, and extorting ₹3.5 million from him. However, Chaudhary has not yet been arrested. The Home Minister should have immediately arrested IPS Shankar Chaudhary in this highly charged case. Only by sending such a gangster type of IPS officer to jail will the fear of law be created among other corrupt IPS officers also.
Will CBI expose IPS officers- Inspectors nexus in Delhi police?
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which earned the title of a “caged parrot” from the Supreme Court, has also been reprimanded by the Court, which observed that the agency must move beyond this old image of being a parrot confined in a cage and prove its impartiality. Despite this, the CBI still does not appear to function in an independent, impartial, and transparent manner. It is not enough to be impartial; impartiality must also be visible. These days, the CBI is not even officially informing the media about the arrest of corrupt officers of the Delhi Police. By doing so, the CBI appears to be trying to conceal the stains and sins of corrupt officers.
When IPS officers are found involved in alleged corruption cases, it seems as if the CBI suddenly loses its voice. Instead of honestly discharging its duty, the CBI appears to be maintaining a brotherhood relationship of “IPS protecting IPS.” The silence of the CBI raises serious questions about its role. In the past month, four cases involving the arrest of corrupt Delhi Police officers have come to light. In the cases of Inspector Pradeep Singh and Inspector Subhash Yadav, IPS officers are also said to be involved. The CBI did not officially inform the media about the arrests in any of these four cases. The biggest question is this: if the CBI is unwilling to officially disclose even the arrests of inspectors, one can imagine how it will investigate IPS officers. The CBI should understand that greater publicity of the arrest of corrupt officers would strengthen public confidence in the agency. Only then will more people gather the courage to expose corrupt officials.
On June 8, the CBI arrested Delhi Police Crime Branch Inspector Pradeep Singh on charges of accepting a bribe of Rs1 crore. In its FIR, the CBI provided complete details of Inspector Pradeep, CBI case accused N. Raja, and his associate Rajkumar. On May 14, 2026, Inspector Pradeep allegedly took both men to the office of his senior officer. That senior officer assured N. Raja that he would be protected in the CBI case and demanded Rs3 crore as a bribe, including Rs1.5 crore in advance. Yet, despite this, the CBI did not mention the officer’s name in the FIR and instead referred to him merely as an “unknown senior government officer.” However, the agency later arrested the said IPS officer Deepak Gahlawat. The CBI had such concrete information that money was being arranged through hawala channels and would be delivered to Inspector Pradeep in Delhi on June 8. Acting on this information, the CBI arrested Inspector Pradeep and middleman Rajkumar.
Can anyone believe that the country’s premier investigative agency did not know the name of the IPS officer backing the inspector before registering the FIR? This gives the impression that the CBI deliberately omitted his name. If the CBI’s intentions are genuinely clear and transparent, it should explain why the IPS officer’s name was not included in the FIR and why Inspector Pradeep’s arrest was not officially publicized.
On April 21, 2026, the CBI arrested Head Constable Ajay, posted in the Anti-Narcotics Cell of Dwarka District, while allegedly accepting a bribe of R2 lakh. More than Rs48 lakh in cash was recovered from the cell’s office. The CBI did publicize the arrest of the head constable. However, at that time, the CBI did not arrest Inspector Subhash Yadav, who headed the unit. There is widespread discussion within police circles that Inspector Subhash was saved from arrest by his IPS godfather. This raised serious questions about the CBI’s role. When the matter gained momentum, the CBI arrested Inspector Subhash Yadav on May 11.
Reports suggest that Inspector Subhash had assets and financial dealings worth nearly Rs100 crore and maintained close links with several IPS officers. Yet the CBI did not officially publicize his arrest either. The CBI should explain why Inspector Subhash Yadav was not arrested on April 21 and whether any IPS officer is involved in the case.
On June 10, the CBI registered a case against ASI Shiv Prakash and Sub-Inspector Arvind Singh, posted at Hari Nagar Cyber Police Station in West Delhi, for allegedly demanding a bribe of ₹20 lakh from a Rajasthan resident by threatening him with arrest. The CBI did not disclose how many police personnel were arrested in this case. On June 5, the CBI caught Sub-Inspector Sachin and Head Constable Praveen Kutel of Amar Colony Police Station red-handed while accepting a bribe. In this case too, the CBI did not officially inform the media about the arrests.
On the other hand, on June 6, the CBI officially announced the arrest of ASI Hitesh Kumar of Sector 39 Police Station in Chandigarh while accepting a bribe of Rs40,000.
This reveals the discriminatory treatment being adopted by the CBI toward different police personnel.
Inspector Subhash Yadav is also said to have been very close to M. Harshvardhan, tha then DCP of Dwarka District, who is now serving in the CBI. This is the same DCP who, in July 2024, had arrested a car driver in the Rajendra Nagar coaching centre flooding case, where several students died after rainwater entered the basement. The driver was accused of causing the water to enter the coaching centre merely by driving his car. The court strongly criticized the police for this action. The incident exposed Harshvardhan’s investigative incompetence. The appointment of such an IPS officer to the CBI raises questions about the agency’s selection process as well.
It is said that Inspector Subhash likely had more than one godfather. IPS officer Shankar Chaudhary has already been exposed. Former DCP Santosh Meena had first posted Subhash Yadav in the Nigerian-dominated Mohan Garden area, which is known as a hub for drug traffickers and a major source of illegal police earnings. The lure of collections from this area is what reportedly drew IPS officer Shankar Chaudhary back from Mizoram.
Either IPS officers were colluding with Inspector Subhash, or they were so incompetent, naïve, or foolish that they remained unaware for years while their subordinate allegedly extorted money from drug traffickers. In either case, strict action must be taken against them. under the tenure of IPS officers Santosh Meena, Shankar Chaudhary, M. Harshvardhan, and Ankit Kumar Singh, all of whom served as DCPs in Dwarka District, that Inspector Subhash flourished. The current DCP, Kushal Pal Singh, was posted to the district in March this year.
If the Home Minister genuinely wants to rid the police force of corruption and bring crime under control, he must launch a decisive strike against the IPS–Inspector nexus. IPS officers who colluded with inspectors should be sent to jail without delay.
After this matter surfaced, Special Commissioner of Police (Law & Order, Zone-2) Madhup Tiwari was transferred to Arunachal Pradesh with immediate effect on May 2. He was not assigned any post there. This strengthened the doubt that he was removed because of his connection to the Inspector Subhash scandal. If that was indeed the reason, why was no strict action taken against him? A few years ago, Madhup Tiwari was on deputation with the CBI, but the agency sent him back to his parent cadre even before the completion of his tenure. Now the time has come , the CBI should expose those IPS officers, who were reportedly backing Inspector Subhash Yadav for so many years.
The Delhi Police registered an FIR against former Dwarka DCP Shankar Chaudhary on February 5, 2026. He faces sensational allegations of illegally detaining a foreign national involved in the narcotics trade and extorting ₹35 lakh from him. Yet Shankar Chaudhary has not been arrested so far. The Home Minister should have ensured his immediate arrest in such a strong case. Sending such gangster-like IPS officers to jail would create a deterrent effect among other corrupt IPS officers as well.
(Inder Vashisth has been a journalist in Delhi since 1989. He has served as Special Correspondent with Dainik Bhaskar and Senior Correspondent with Sandhya Times (The Times of India Group).
