The CBI on Monday filed a chargesheet before the Ernakulam Chief Judicial Magistrate Court against a businessman in connection with the sale of illegally dredged sand from the Ezhimala Naval Academy.
The CBI suggested departmental action against Commander Mukundan N Rajiv, project coordinator, Office of the Director General, Naval Academy, who is involved in the case. The CBI filed a chargesheet also against Ashraf Baker, managing director, ASR Dredging Services.
He has been charged with offences under IPC 420. According to investigating officer ASP P S Nair of the CBI Kochi unit, the dredging company was awarded the contract to deepen the boat training centre of the Waterman Ship Training Institute at the academy. The southern end of the Kavvayi backwater of the Ezhimala Naval Academy was to be dredged by 8.50 lakh cubic metres.
The agreement also stated that the company should construct a dumping site and fill it up evenly with the dredged materials. However, the company violated the agreement terms.
The CBI submitted that Baker, with an intention to cheat the government and in violation of the agreement terms, had sold huge quantities of the dredged sand from the academy. Commander Mukundan had issued a letter showing that ASR Dredging Services was allowed to transport one lakh cubic metres of sand.
According to the chargesheet, the company transported 729 loads of dredged sand out of the academy. For this, Baker had entered into an agreement with civil contractor K P Divakaran to sell the sand. An amount of `10 lakh was fixed as an advance. Divakaran handed over `5 lakh as cash, initially. Divakaran, who is also a witness in the case, deposed before the CBI that there is good demand for dredged sand in the open market. In addition to `5 lakh, he had also given `7 lakh to the company.
Baker had convinced Divakaran that he had the right to transport and sell the sand from academy. The accused had illegally obtained `12 lakh by violating the agreement, the CBI said.