New Delhi, Jan 16 (IANS): Giving a clear message of zero tolerance, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Saturday suspended its Inspector and steno named in a corruption case, sources said.

The development comes two days after the CBI, in much embarrassment carried out searches at 14 locations in several cities including its own officers.

A CBI source, connected to the probe told IANS, "The Inspector and the steno named in the corruption case have been suspended."

He said that it is as per the CBI's zero tolerance policy towards corruption either in-house or outside.

In its FIR, the CBI has alleged that the four officials who have been booked for corruption, had received bribes to extend favours to at least two private companies being probed for bank fraud.

The CBI has named its officials as Deputy Superintendents of Police R.K. Rishi and R.K. Sangwan; Inspector Kapil Dhankad and Stenographer Samir Kumar Singh.

Others named in the FIR include lawyers Arvind Kumar Gupta and Manohar Malik, Mandeep Kaur Dhillon, additional director of Shree Shyam Pulp and Board Mills Private Ltd and Sujay and Uday Desai, directors of Frost International Private Ltd.

On Thursday, the CBI carried out searches at 14 premises of the accused named in the FIR in Delhi, Gurugram, Ghaziabad, Noida, Meerut and Kanpur.

According to the CBI FIR, it has been alleged that in the matter of Shree Shyam Pulp and Board Mills, the previous investigating officer, Sangwan, allegedly offered and paid Rs 10 lakh in cash on behalf of the company's additional director to the inspector, who in turn shared confidential information related to the probe with Sangwan.

The FIR further stated that in January last year, the CBI had registered a case against Frost International and 14 others for alleged bank fraud involving about Rs 3,600 crore.

"Rishi allegedly paid Rs 10 lakh to the inspector on behalf of the Desais, for favours," it alleged.

It also alleged that Rishi received Rs 15 lakh twice through the two advocates to get favours for a Chandigarh-based company, being probed in a corruption case.

Dhankad received Rs 2.5 lakh from Gupta twice, for having brokered the deal through Rishi, the FIR read.

According to the FIR, the accused stenographer had also shared details of the investigation in many other cases, including confidential notes and directions, with the two accused DSPs, for monetary gain.