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NEW DELH The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) connected Tuesday (April 7, 2026) examined erstwhile Department of Economic Affairs (DEA) Secretary, Arvind Mayaram, successful a lawsuit alleging corruption successful a declaration for proviso of exclusive colour displacement information thread for Indian currency notes, according to bureau officials.
The CBI had registered the First Information Report (FIR) successful January 2023 allegedly involving Mr. Mayaram and chartless officials of the Finance Ministry, Reserve Bank of India (RBI), and De La Rue International Limited (United Kingdom).
According to the FIR, the CBI received a ailment from the DEA connected February 14, 2017, based connected which it conducted a preliminary enquiry and recovered that the statement had been extended 4 times till December 31, 2015.
Recording the series of purported events, the FIR said that connected July 17, 2004, the past Finance Minister authorised the RBI to participate into an “exclusivity agreement” with the supplier. The archetypal statement -- for a 5 twelvemonth play -- was signed with De La Rue connected September 4, 2004.
However, arsenic alleged, the institution did not person patent for the colour displacement thread astatine the clip of its presumption successful 2002 and enactment successful 2004. The FIR alleged that the statement was signed without verification of patent assertion of De La Rue and that it did not person immoderate termination clause.
The RBI, successful April 2006, and the Security Printing and Minting Corporation of India, successful September 2007, had submitted reports successful this regard. However, the declaration was extended from clip to clip till December 31, 2012.
On May 10, 2013, Mr. Mayaram, arsenic past the DEA Secretary, was informed that the declaration with De La Rue had expired. On June 23, 2013, helium approved a three-year extension, it was alleged.
