MADURAI: The Madurai Bench of Madras High Court has directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to expedite its investigation into an alleged scam committed by a public sector enterprise Hindustan Insecticides Limited (HIL), which is based in New Delhi, in procurement and supply of mosquito nets to Jharkhand state government and the Central Medical Services Society (CMSS) in New Delhi in 2022.
Justice B Pugalendhi passed the order recently on a petition filed last year by Karur HDPE Filament and Bed nets Manufacturers Welfare Association, represented by its secretary AR Malaiyappasamy, requesting the court to fix a time limit for the agency to complete the investigation.
The association alleged that HIL had obtained a contract from the Government of Jharkhand and CMSS, New Delhi, for supply of mosquito nets for public use. While CMSS procured more than 40 million nets, the Jharkhand government procured 48,000 nets.
According to the association, HIL procured the nets through shell companies at the rate of Rs 60 per net and supplied it at the rate of Rs 290 to 380 per net. Claiming that a fraud has been committed by the company, the association lodged the complaint.
The judge observed that an interim status report filed by the New Delhi CBI in April revealed that prima facie materials available in the case and directed the CBI to conclude the investigation expeditiously. Earlier, HIL had argued that the petition was a motivated one filed at the behest of a business rival.