New Delhi, July 2 -- The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested Haryana-cadre Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Deepak Gahlawat in connection with a Rs.3-crore bribe case linked to a multi-crore counterfeit drug manufacturing racket, an agency spokesperson said on Wednesday. A Delhi court on Wednesday sent Gahlawat to one day of CBI custody. "CBI has arrested an IPS officer of 2012 batch, Haryana cadre, Deepak Gahlawat, who is currently posted on central deputation in BCAS (Bureau of Civil Aviation Security) in Delhi," an agency spokesperson said in a statement. Gahlawat is accused of assuring Puducherry-based businessman N Raja, who is under CBI investigation in a counterfeit drugs case, a favourable outcome in the probe by using his purported influence over agency officials in return for the Rs.3-crore bribe, the spokesperson said. "During investigation, it was disclosed that Gahlawat had demanded illegal gratification claiming that he could exercise his personal influence and obtain relief for private persons in the cases being investigated by CBI in relation to sale of counterfeit drugs in Puducherry," the spokesperson said. The federal agency had filed a case on June 8 naming Delhi Police inspector Pradeep Singh, Raja, a middleman, Rajkumar, and unknown others in the alleged bribery case. Singh was arrested along with Rajkumar and five other private persons, which, the CBI statement said, led to the recovery of around Rs.25 lakh of bribe amount and another amount of Rs.90 lakh. The CBI spokesperson added that the agency also raided multiple premises linked to Gahlawat, seizing multiple digital devices, hard disks, and documents. Officials who didn't want to be named said Gahlawat was questioned a couple of times after Singh and Rajkumar were arrested. During his questioning, he claimed he doesn't know anyone in the CBI or have influence over probes there. The CBI has been investigating Raja, alias Valliappan, since March on charges of criminal conspiracy, adulteration of drugs, cheating, and sale of spurious drugs at the recommendation of the Puducherry administration. The Puducherry police and drug control department found manufacturing units making counterfeit drugs of over a dozen brands in September and December last year. Raja is among those who allegedly manufactured and sold such drugs worth several thousand crores throughout the country. In its June 8 first information report (FIR), the CBI alleged that Gahlawat met Raja, Singh and Rajkumar on May 14. During the meeting, he allegedly assured Raja he could secure favourable relief in the CBI cases through his connections and influence within the CBI. The FIR cited the CBI probe and said the "senior public servant" (referring to Gahlawat) agreed to "assist" in the pending CBI cases in exchange for Rs.3 crore. It added that he demanded an advance payment of Rs.1.5 crore. The FIR said Raja arranged the funds before Rajkumar travelled to Vadodara, where he met Singh to discuss the modalities for the delivery of the bribe amount to the Delhi-based public servants. "Following the meeting, both of them travelled together to Delhi." "He contacted a hawala operator in Chennai and sought his services for transferring Rs.1 crore to Delhi as part of the advance bribe payment, the CBI said....