CHENNAI: A day after Express reported how the CBI raids across the country to unearth the railway freight scam was triggered by an instance in Tiruchirapalli, Ramco Cements Ltd., the alleged main beneficiary in the scam in Tiruchy, has denied any connection with the case.
In its FIR, the Anti-Corruption Bureau of the CBI had mentioned that the electronic in-motion weighbridge used to weigh clinkers - a raw material used in cement manufacture - sent to the company’s plant in Ariyalur had been tampered with to show less than the actual weight of the consignment.
Ramco has been named as accused number four in this case, after the two railway officials and a service engineer who allegedly tampered with the digital equipment.
“It is unfortunate that our name was dragged into this matter for reasons not known to us. We were not served a copy of the FIR,” said senior general manager (administration) of Ramco’s Ariyalur plant C Ravichandran, in response to an e-mail questionnaire sent by Express.
The response noted that the top management of the company was not aware of the alleged benefits accrued due to the manipulation of the weigh-bridge software.
Ravichandran claimed that the company had carried an internal investigation, but found no evidence to prove that any employee had colluded with the three named in the CBI FIR - two Railway officials and the service engineer of Senlogic Automation Pvt Ltd., the private company that supplied and maintained the digital weighbridge. Ramco had provided all details to the CBI during the agency’s investigation, he said.
Sources in the Railways said that the residence of one of the officials accused of being part of the racket was raided by investigators, but nothing was found. The key vigilance inspector of Southern Railways, who was part of the operation which unearthed the scam, was awarded during the recent Railway Week Celebrations, the sources added. The closure of the electronic in-motion weighbridge at Tiruchirapalli, which was sealed by Southern Railways after the malfeasance came to light, had not affected the business of Ramco Cements, the company said. “The company has suspended its clinker movement by rail,” the response said.
The company also noted, it had paid punitive charges of `68.3 lakh for over-loading to Southern Railways, albeit under protest, and had even notified the Railways regarding problems in the in-motion weigh bridge.