Trainee IPS officer Rahul Bansal under scanner in ₹1 crore bribery complaint linked to Chhattisgarh cyber fraud probe

A 2022-batch Indian Police Service officer of the Chhattisgarh cadre, Rahul Bansal, has been named in a complaint alleging that he and two local police personnel demanded and accepted a ₹1 crore bribe to influence the investigation of a cyber fraud case in Ambikapur. The allegations are now before a special CBI court in Delhi, which has sought Action Taken Reports from the Chhattisgarh Director General of Police and the CBI Director. The charges remain allegations at this stage and have not been proven.

Complaint before special CBI court

The complaint was filed by Akash Kumar, a resident of Haryana, who has accused Bansal, Assistant Sub-Inspector Praveen Kumar Rathore and Constable Anshul Sharma of seeking money to settle or favour the accused in a cyber fraud case registered at the Cyber Range Police Station in Ambikapur. Rathore and Sharma, both posted in the cyber cell or range set-up in the Ambikapur area, are alleged to have acted as intermediaries in the transaction.

According to the complaint, the alleged bribe was not paid in one go. Instead, it was purportedly routed through hawala channels in two instalments of ₹50 lakh each during May 2026. The complainant has alleged that the money was sought in connection with the handling of the cyber fraud investigation, with the objective of protecting those involved or influencing the course of the probe.

Cyber fraud case at the centre of the allegations

The underlying criminal case concerns an alleged investment scam in which a victim was persuaded to download applications called ‘Money Trade 365’ and ‘Sky Trade’. The victim was allegedly induced with promises of higher returns through stock-market trading and went on to deposit around ₹20.15 lakh in 84 instalments into 17 to 18 different bank accounts said to have been provided by the fraudsters.

It is during the investigation of this cyber fraud case that the alleged bribery demand is said to have arisen. The complaint contends that money was sought and received in order to influence how the case was handled.

Evidence cited by complainant

Akash Kumar has submitted what he claims is digital evidence to support his allegations. This includes WhatsApp chats, call recordings relating to the alleged transactions, supporting documents and an affidavit. These materials have been placed before the court as part of his effort to seek a formal criminal investigation.

The complainant first approached the CBI Director with a written complaint on 8 June 2026, asking for an investigation and registration of an FIR. After no FIR was registered, he moved the Special CBI Court at Rouse Avenue in Delhi under Section 175(3) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023.

In his plea, he has sought registration of an FIR under Sections 7 and 7A of the Prevention of Corruption Act, along with relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.

Court seeks reports from CBI and state police

The matter is being heard by Special Judge Sudhanshu Kaushik. The court has issued notices and called for Action Taken Reports from both the Chhattisgarh DGP and the CBI Director. A notice was also issued to the Chhattisgarh DGP seeking a factual report. Earlier timelines had been fixed by the court, and the matter was listed for further hearing around mid-August 2026. In some instances, responses have already been filed through counsel.

Local police authorities in Surguja have indicated that the issue pertains to the Range office level. Public comment from senior officers has so far been limited. Media attempts to obtain detailed responses from Bansal or from the relevant Inspector General have not yielded substantive replies.

Who is Rahul Bansal?

Rahul Bansal is a 2022-batch IPS officer allotted to the Chhattisgarh cadre. Born on 26 June 1994, he is originally from Rajasthan, with roots reported in the Karauli region. His academic background includes a B.Tech in Electrical Engineering from IIT (BHU), Varanasi, and an LLB from Rajasthan University.

Before entering the IPS, Bansal served as an Income Tax Inspector after being selected through the Staff Selection Commission. He had also qualified as an Assistant Audit Officer. He cleared the UPSC Civil Services Examination 2021 with an All India Rank of 377, with Mathematics as his optional subject, on his fifth attempt while continuing in government service. He also qualified the Indian Forest Service examination in the same cycle with rank 251. He formally joined the IPS on 29 August 2022.

After completing training, his first field posting was as City Superintendent of Police in Ambikapur in Surguja district, Chhattisgarh, reported to have taken effect around August 2025. It was during this first independent field assignment that the present allegations surfaced.

Old interview clip draws attention online

As the complaint gained attention, an older mock interview video from Bansal’s civil services preparation period began circulating widely on social media. In that clip, the then-aspirant spoke about feeling “very bad” after allegedly paying a ₹500 bribe to a panchayat official to expedite the issuance of his brother’s birth certificate, which was needed in connection with travel for an academic presentation.

In the same video, he referred to the existence of some corrupt elements in the system while cautioning against broad generalisations. The resurfacing of that clip, juxtaposed with the present ₹1 crore allegation, has drawn significant online attention.

No finding of guilt yet

The allegations against Rahul Bansal, ASI Praveen Kumar Rathore and Constable Anshul Sharma are based on the complaint and the supporting material submitted before the court. No finding of guilt has been recorded, and the case remains under judicial scrutiny.

For now, the special CBI court is examining the complaint along with the Action Taken Reports sought from the state police and the central agency. The case has also drawn attention because it involves a trainee or probationary IPS officer in his first field posting, and because the complainant has relied on digital evidence and the private-complaint route under the new criminal procedure framework to pursue corruption allegations linked to a cybercrime investigation.

Any further action will depend on the reports placed before the court and on whether an investigation is subsequently ordered.