BHUBANESWAR: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested seven persons including the executive secretary to the chairman-cum-managing director of central PSU Bridge and Roof Company (India) Ltd, on graft charges related to a tender worth Rs 56 crore for construction of Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS) in Odisha.
The central agency received information that Shashank Jain of Kolkata’s Rajarhat, Somesh Chandra of Noida, Veer Thakkar of Mumbai and Rajiv Ranjan of New Delhi took bribe in the name of unknown officials of Bridge and Roof Company in Kolkata, from Hetal Kumar Pravinchandra Rajyaguru, proprietor of Rajkot-based HP Rajyaguru, to provide confidential information related to tenders floated by the company. The bribe amount of Rs 19.96 lakh was supposed to be delivered to Ashish Razdan, executive secretary to the chairman-cum-managing director of Bridge and Roof Company.
While Jain worked as a middleman for some officials of the central PSU, Chandra and Ranjan helped him find a firm for construction of Eklavya schools at various places in Odisha. On being contacted by Chandra and Ranjan, Thakkar pitched for HP Rajyaguru. When Rajyaguru told Jain in July that he did not have any knowledge about the Bridge and Roof Company and its dealings, the latter assured him that he will be able to make huge profit by quoting the rates suggested by him for the tenders floated by the PSU.
Jain directed Chandra to ask Rajyaguru to submit price bids lower than seven per cent of the rates given in notice inviting tender (NIT) as there were many bidders. On July 26, Jain informed Chandra that five bidders had participated for construction of Eklavya schools in Odisha of which two couldn’t proceed further.
The tender was scheduled to be opened on July 31. Chandra demanded bribe from Rajyaguru for some officials of the company. Later through his associates, Jain informed Rajyaguru of an email sent to him by the PSU for online verification regarding the tender.On August 11, Chandra asked Ranjan that 4 pc of the tender value must be sent to Jain as token money of which 3 pc would be provided to the officials of the PSU and one pc divided among Jain, Chandra, Thakkar and Ranjan. Rajyaguru assured to send Rs 20 lakh to Jain on September 15.
During investigation, CBI found out that Rajyaguru paid different amounts of money to Jain, Chandra, Thakkar and Ranjan between August 12 and September 11 either directly or through hawala system. Acting on a tip-off, the agency arrested Jain after he received the bribe in Kolkata through a hawala channel. The central agency established that the bribe amount of Rs 19.96 lakh was to be delivered to Ashish Razdan.
CBI in New Delhi had earlier registered a case and Razdan, Jain, Rajyaguru, Chandra, Thakkar, Ranjan and another individual Tarang Agarwal were arrested. The agency conducted searches at different locations in Kolkata, New Delhi, Noida, Mumbai, Nagpur and Rajkot and seized several incriminating documents, digital evidences and about ‘26.60 lakh cash.