KOCHI: The investigation into the graft in the sale of gypsum involving officials of FACT has entered the final stage as the CBI is set to approach the Chemical and Fertilizer Ministry seeking prosecution sanction against the official who were named accused in the case. The CBI is looking to complete the investigation part of the case before the end of this month as the investigation officer will retire soon.
According to CBI officials, the evidence in the case has been collected and statements of the witnesses recorded. “The statements of some of the officials in FACT were recorded recently. Similarly, we collected the details regarding the quality of gypsum that was on sale to other private companies. The documents related to the financial transaction was also retrieved as crucial evidence,” an officer said.
The investigation officer Hari Om Prakash retires this month end. “Before the retirement of the investigation officer, the probe would be completed. The chargesheet of the case would be filed by another officer who will be made investigation officer after the retirement of the current officer,” he said. The CBI would approach the Chemical and Fertilizer Ministry for prosecuting the officials of FACT who are made accused in the case. “It would take a couple of months to receive the prosecution sanction before filing the chargesheet in the case. A report substantiating the charges against the accused will be sent to the Central Government,” the officer said.
It was in October 2016 that the CBI conducted raids at multiple places and registered cases against officials of FACT and the company which held the deal for gypsum supply. The accused includes former FACT CMD, Jaiveer Srivastava. The other accused are chief general manager (CGM) Srinath Kammath, CGM Ambika I S, CGM Panchanan Poddar, deputy general manager Daniel Madhukar, NSS Trade India Private Ltd owner Santosh Shetty, MD of the Nagarjuna Chemicals Pvt Ltd Mukund Daga alias Mukund Maheswari. The case is that when gypsum was valued at `296 per tonne in 2015, the FACT authorities entered into an agreement with NSS Trade India Ltd to sell the material for `130 per tonne for three years from 2016.