# CBI Traps Foreign Trade Officer Hemlata Hedau in Panipat Over Rs 30,000 Bribe, Probes Railway Bribery Cases > The CBI arrested Assistant DGFT Hemlata Hedau in Panipat for accepting a Rs 30,000 bribe to process an export authorization file, alongside ongoing raids uncovering Rs 77 lakh cash from a railway engineer in Bhilai. **Type:** article · **Category:** Haryana · **Published:** 2026-08-19 · **Source:** TrendKia **Canonical:** https://trendkia.com/en/haryana/haryana-men-30-hajara-rupaye-ghusa-lete-dhari-gain-asistenta-dgft-hemlata-hedau-cbi-ki-reda-men-pakaraya-rela-adhikari-bhi-18549 · **Language:** English **Tags:** CBI, Panipat News, Hemlata Hedau, DGFT Bribery Case, Anti Corruption Bureau, Haryana Crime, Railway Corruption Probe The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has apprehended Hemlata Hedau, Assistant Director General of Foreign Trade (Assistant DGFT) stationed in Panipat, Haryana, for allegedly demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 30,000. The arrest took place during a targeted sting operation after a complaint was lodged regarding delays in processing export authorization documents. This action highlights an intensified crackdown by the central probe agency against bureaucratic corruption, following another recent high-profile arrest involving a senior railway mechanical engineer in Chhattisgarh from whom officers recovered tens of lakhs in undisclosed cash and valuables. ## CBI Lays Trap Operation to Arrest Assistant DGFT in Panipat According to official details released by the CBI, a formal corruption case was registered against Assistant DGFT Hemlata Hedau on August 19, 2026. The officer was posted at the Joint Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) office situated in Panipat. The matter came to light when a complainant approached the agency alleging that the officer had demanded an illegal gratification of Rs 30,000 to rectify cited deficiencies and expedite the processing of an Export Promotion Capital Goods (EPCG) authorization file belonging to the complainant's client. > Acting swiftly on the verified complaint, the CBI laid a trap operation on August 19. Investigators caught Hemlata Hedau red-handed while she was demanding and receiving the requested bribe amount of Rs 30,000 from the complainant. Following the apprehension, legal proceedings were initiated to produce the accused officer before the designated CBI court in Panchkula. Simultaneously, search operations were launched across the official and residential premises of the accused in Panipat and Panchkula to gather additional documentary and financial evidence related to the case. ## Role of EPCG Scheme and Allegations of Bureaucratic Extortion The Export Promotion Capital Goods (EPCG) scheme is a critical trade facilitation mechanism introduced by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. Under this framework, Indian exporters and manufacturing enterprises are permitted to import capital machinery and advanced equipment at zero or concessional customs duty. In exchange, importing firms commit to fulfilling a prescribed export obligation equivalent to six times the duty saved within a specified timeframe. Because obtaining an EPCG authorization is essential for businesses to claim customs duty exemptions, approval delays can freeze manufacturing operations and supply chains. Allegations against Assistant DGFT Hemlata Hedau indicate that administrative deficiencies in the application file were used as leverage to extract Rs 30,000 in exchange for clearing the paperwork. CBI officials reaffirmed that public servants who deliberately obstruct regulatory clearances to extort money will face strict criminal prosecution under anti-corruption statutes. ## Chhattisgarh Railway Bribery Investigation and Recovery of Rs 77 Lakh Cash The arrest in Panipat comes shortly after another major anti-corruption enforcement operation conducted by the CBI in Chhattisgarh. In that instance, the agency targeted a Senior Divisional Mechanical Engineer (DME) belonging to the Indian Railway Service of Mechanical Engineers (IRSME) cadres, posted with the South East Central Railway (SECR) in Bhilai. In a case registered on August 13, 2026, the senior railway engineer was accused of demanding an illegal gratification of Rs 2 lakh from a contractor to approve pending bills. Following negotiations, the officer agreed to accept a reduced bribe of Rs 1 lakh. On August 13, the CBI executed a trap operation and intercepted the Senior DME while accepting the first installment of Rs 50,000. Investigators established that the bribe money was being collected through a middleman acting on the explicit instructions of the railway official. ## Massive Seizures of Cash, Gold Jewellery, and Parallel Railway Probe Immediately following the arrest of the railway official in Bhilai, CBI search teams conducted extensive raids across his residential and administrative properties located in Bhilai and Raipur. During these searches, agency personnel unearthed unaccounted cash totaling approximately Rs 77 lakh. In addition to the cash stash, gold and silver jewellery valued at around Rs 14 lakh was seized from the premises. The accused Senior DME was formally arrested on August 14, 2026, and remanded to judicial custody. Furthermore, CBI operations in mid-August also included the arrest of five North Western Railway officials in Rajasthan on separate bribery allegations registered on August 14. Probe officials emphasized that rigorous investigations are proceeding across all these cases to ensure accountability within key administrative bodies, including foreign trade offices and national railway divisions. ## What this means for you - **Across India:** Swift CBI enforcement against bribery sends a strong deterrent message across central government offices to ensure corrupt-free public service delivery. - **In Panipat & Haryana:** Local exporters and trading firms seeking EPCG authorizations gain relief from procedural delays and illegal bribe demands at foreign trade offices. ## Questions & Answers ### 1. Who did the CBI arrest in the Panipat bribery case? The CBI arrested Hemlata Hedau, Assistant Director General of Foreign Trade (Assistant DGFT), posted at the Joint Directorate General of Foreign Trade office in Panipat. ### 2. How much bribe money was involved in the Assistant DGFT arrest? Hemlata Hedau was arrested for demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 30,000 to process an EPCG authorization application. ### 3. What is the EPCG authorization scheme? The Export Promotion Capital Goods (EPCG) scheme allows export-oriented businesses to import capital machinery and equipment at zero or reduced customs duty under specific guidelines. ### 4. What was recovered from the railway officer's premises in Chhattisgarh? CBI searches at the Senior Divisional Mechanical Engineer's premises in Bhilai and Raipur yielded around Rs 77 lakh in cash and jewellery worth Rs 14 lakh. ### 5. Where will the arrested Assistant DGFT be produced? The CBI will produce accused Assistant DGFT Hemlata Hedau before the designated CBI court in Panchkula. --- _TrendKia — Har trend, sabse pehle.. Machine-readable view; canonical HTML at the URL above._