VIJAYAWADA: The Andhra Pradesh Crime Investigation Department (APCID), which is probing the AP State Skill Development Corporation (APSSDC) ‘scam’, arrested three persons for the alleged misappropriation of public funds to the tune of Rs 241 crore.
Soumyadri Shekhar Bose alias Suman Bose, former managing director of SIEMENS Industry Software (India) Private Limited, Vikas Vinayak Khanvalkar, chairman and managing director of Pune-based DesignTech System Limited and Mukul Agarwal, chief operating officer, Skiller Enterprises India Private Limited, were arrested from various places on Saturday.
They were produced on Sunday before the CID special magistrate court, which remanded them to 12 days’ judicial custody. Later, the trio were sent to the Machilipatnam sub-jail for COVID tests and other necessary medical tests, after which they will be shifted to the Vijayawada District Jail.
Based on the complaint filed by APSSDC Chairman K Ajay Reddy, CID officials registered a case under Sections 166, 167, 418, 420, 465, 468, 409, 201, 109, r/w 120 (B) of the IPC and Sections 13(2) r/w 13(1)(c) and (d) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. As many as 26 persons and some government officials were named in the FIR filed on December 9.
In his complaint, Ajay Reddy alleged that public funds were swindled using shell companies by raising fake invoices, creating a Rs 241 crore loss to the State exchequer.
The crime dates back to 2014, during the TDP regime. The APSSDC had entered into a memorandum of agreement (MoA) with SIEMENS for imparting hi-end technology training. The company offered training programmes in collaboration with various state governments for the youngsters and unemployed youth. The CID alleged that former managing director of APSSDC Ghanta Subba Rao, former director Dr K Lakshmi Narayana and other officials along with some private companies flouted rules and caused loss to the State exchequer.
Highly placed sources in the department said that Soumyadri Shekhar Bose, A6 in the case, made a correspondence with the state government and managed to release Rs 371 crore in favour of DesignTech company towards government share in advance without executing any work by the technology partners.
The entire issue came to light in 2017 when the Directorate General of GST intelligence unit, Pune, registered a case against DesignTech, for raising fake bills through various shell companies. “The amount was further diverted to other associated shell companies by raising fake invoices. Even in the internal investigation carried out by SIEMENS, it is concluded that funds from APSSDC were diverted by DesignTech by giving a subcontract to one PVSP IT Skills and then to other companies without providing any service or supplying goods.
Bose resigned from SIEMENS shortly after it commenced its internal investigation. The WhatsApp and SMS conversations of Bose with A8 Vikas Khanvalkar confirmed that they indulged in Hawala and money laundering operations,” sources said.
The investigation officials also found that A8 Vikas Vinayak Khanvelkar committed various violations. He along with Bose made email correspondence with former APSSDC officials and finalised the draft of the manipulative and defective tripartite agreement. Also, Vikas played a major role in managing and controlling one of the shell companies, KnowledgePodium.
“When KnowledgePodium failed to deliver the number of training modules, Vikas was crucial in convincing the APSSDC officials and getting the payment released. He also committed various misappropriations and irregularities in the entire process. Similarly, A10 Mukul Chandra Agarwal also took part in the entire scam,” sources said.
Zero FIR filed against news channel MD
The CID registered a zero FIR under Sections 353, 341,186, 120 (B) of the IPC against Vemuri Radhakrishna, managing director of vernacular news channel, ABN Andhra Jyothi, for allegedly obstructing government officials in discharging their duties.
When the CID officials were conducting raids in the houses of the accused in the multi-crore skill development corporation fund misappropriation case in Hyderabad on Friday, Radhakrishna allegedly obstructed them from discharging their duties. Based on the report from investigation officers, a zero FIR was registered. It will be transferred to the Telangana police for further probe.
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