CBI Files Cases Against MEIL for Alleged Bribery in NMDC Contracts
13 April 2024 4:17 PM GMT
The CBI registers criminal cases against MEIL and NMDC officers for alleged bribery in connection with contract works in Bastar, Chhattisgarh, raising concerns about corruption in public procurement. (DC File Image)
HYDERABAD: The CBI registered criminal cases against Hyderabad-based Megha Engineering and Infrastructure Limited (MEIL) for allegedly offering Rs 78 lakhs in bribes to eight officers of National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC) and other firms for sanction of bills related to a Rs 314-crore contract for the construction of an integrated steel plant in Bastar, Chhattisgarh.
The CBI booked cases of criminal conspiracy, forgery and bribing a public servant and public servants taking a bribe, including NMDC’s Prashant Dash, executive director (retired) and director Dilip Kumar Mohanty, (production) as well as Pradeep Kumar Bhuyan, DGM at the Nagarnar Ispat Limited (NISP). Others booked were Naresh Babu, deputy manager (survey) and Suvro Banerjee, senior manager of NISP; and NMDC officials L. Krishna Mohan, chief general manager (finance) retired and K. Rajshekar, general manager, finance; Somnath Ghose, manager (finance) and K Illavarsu, DGM (contracts) (retired), both of Metallurgical & Engineering Consultants and Subash Chandra Sangras, GM, MEIL.
According to the FIR, the accused officers received payments of Rs 73.85 lakh; Sanjeev Sahay, AGM, contracts, and Illavarsu, DGM, contracts, received payments of Rs five lakh for clearing the payments of Rs 174 crore by NMDC to MEIL against 73 invoices from the infrastructure major.
MEIL emerged as the second-biggest buyer of electoral bonds worth Rs 966 crore, which it subsequently donated to the BJP, BRS and the Congress.
( Source : Deccan Chronicle )
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