KOCHI: The arrest of a chief engineer with the Military Engineer Services (MES) and two contractors has exposed graft in the construction of accommodation for sailors at Mundamveli in Kochi. The corruption has taken place in the project worth Rs 177.37 crore sanctioned this year.
The CBI has arrested MES chief engineer R K Garg and contractors Pushkar Bhasin and Praful Kumar Jain after their kin were caught transacting bribes in New Delhi.
According to the CBI, the MES recently floated a tender for constructing accommodation for sailors in Mundamveli. MES is a civilian body that carries out construction and maintenance works at military bases. The contract for the construction work was given to Pushkarraj Construction Ltd headed by Pushkar Bhasin based in Kolkata and Jain Builder headed by Praful Kumar Jain. Both these companies have offices in Kochi as well. The CBI alleges that Garg demanded 1 per cent commission from both builders. In total, he demanded a bribe to the tune of `1.8 crores from the contractors.
According to the CBI, Bhasin and Jain promised to pay `83 lakh and `89 lakh, respectively, to engineer Garg. The CBI probe revealed that Bhasin had already paid the bribe amount to Garg a few months ago, while Jain agreed to pay the amount in installments.
As directed, Jain’s relative Chancha Jain met Kanar Khanna, a relative of Garg, in New Delhi. However, both were arrested by the CBI team while handing over a sum of Rs 30 lakh.
“Even though the deals were made in Kochi, the money transactions took place in New Delhi. The bribe money is being kept at the residence of Sanjeev Kumar Agarwal, a retired executive engineer with the Haryana PWD, another relative of Garg. Khanna received the money and handed it over to Agarwal,” said a CBI officer.
The CBI had carried out raids in Kochi, New Delhi, Kolkata and Jaipur and recovered around Rs 5 crore from residences and offices of the accused persons.
Garg, Bhasin, and Jain were summoned to appear at the CBI office in Kochi. Their arrests were recorded at 11.30 pm on Sunday.
On Monday, sleuths produced the trio before the CBI court in Kochi for receiving transit warrant before taking them to New Delhi. They will produce them before the CBI court in New Delhi in two days’ time. The case is being investigated by the CBI’s New Delhi unit.