The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered an FIR against NBCC CMD Anoop Kumar Mittal and four other persons for entering into a conspiracy to sanction sub-contract in the Rs 2,150-crore re-development project of ITPO Complex at Delhi's Pragati Maidan to a Mumbai-based Construction Company. The CBI has arrested a Government official and another person for influencing the deal.
The agency has alleged that a contract was awarded to Shapoorji Pallonji and Co (p) ltd- Shapoorji Pallonji Qatar Wll (JV) — for Rs 2,149.93 crore by the NBCC. One Mumbai-based Capacite Structures was trying to get that work from Shapoorji Pallonji on a subcontract basis.
The CBI arrested Government official Pradeep Kumar Mishra and Akashdeep Chauhan on Friday night and carried out searches in Ghaziabad, Delhi and Mumbai. According to CBI, residential and official premises of Mittal were not searched. Mishra and Chauhan have been sent to four-day police custody by a special CBI court on Saturday.
The FIR was lodged on Friday (December 22, 2017) against NBCC CMD on a day when a foundation stone was laid on the redevelopment project of ITPO, Pragati Maidan by Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu. Mittal has been the Chairman and Managing Director of NBCC (India) limited since April 1, 2013. He had served as a Director of Projects at NBCC since December 5, 2011 and serves as its Head of Business Development. Mittal had worked with Shapoorji Pallonji & Company Private limited in October 1982 as a civil engineer.
Surprisingly, according to the CBI FIR, the deal for sub-contract of Rs 2,149.93 crore was influenced by a government official who had demanded a Royal Enfield bike as illegal gratification to exert his influence on Mittal and get the deal swung in favour of Capacite Structures.
Sanjay Kulkarni, Managing Director of M/s Capacite Structures limited, approached Rishabh Agrawal, a private person (middleman) who is having good contacts with various public servants, for getting the sub-contract in the favour of his company.
The FIR alleged Agrawal approached Pradeep Kumar Mishra, a public servant who is close to certain senior functionaries of NBCC ltd. Mishra assured Agrawal the sub-contract would go to Capacite Structure if he was given a new Royal Enfield Bullet motorcycle which was agreed by Kulkarni.
“Under the influence of Mishra, Anoop Kumar Mittal, CMD, NBCC (India) ltd. strongly directed Rakesh Gupta, Executive Director, NBCC (India) ltd. to settle this matter in favour of M/s Capacite Structures limited. In furtherance to the above-said conspiracy, a meeting was held on December 15, 2017, between Kulkarni, representative of M/s Shapoorji Pallonji including Sh. Sanjay Kharkhanis and some senior level officers of NBCC including Gupta. After this meeting, Mittal assured Kulkarni and Mishra about getting the work from M/s Shapoorji Pallonji to the company of Kulkarni,” the FIR alleged.
“Mittal further assured Mishra and Kulkarni that if the work was not given to M/s Capacite Structures limited, he would ensure that it would not be given to anyone else,” the FIR read.
The CBI has registered a case under 120-B IPC and Section 9 & 10 of Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 against Mishra, Mittal, Kulkarni, Agrawal, Chouhan and other unknown public servants and private persons.
The has agency arrested Mishra while he was allegedly receiving the promised bike as illegal gratification from Akashdeep Chouhan, a staff of Kulkarni, the CBI sources said.
