The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested seven persons, including the Executive Secretary to the Chairman-cum-Managing Director of Bridge & Roof Company (India) Limited, on graft charge related to a tender worth ₹56 crore.
Among those named in the First Information Report are Executive Secretary Ashish Razdan; Hetal Kumar Pravinchandra Rajyaguru, proprietor of Rajkot-based H.P. Rajyaguru; alleged middlemen Shashank Kumar Jain; Somesh Chandra; Veer Thakkar; and Rajiv Ranjan; and one Tarang Agarwal.
The case alleges a conspiracy to get the tender of Eklavya Model Residential School (EMRS), Odisha, awarded to the private company in lieu of illegal gratification to unknown public servants of Bridge & Roof Company (India) Limited, Kolkata.
The agency initially received information that Mr. Jain, in connivance with Mr. Chandra, Mr. Thakkar and Mr. Ranjan, had been obtaining huge bribes in the name of unknown officers of the Bridge and Roof Company, for providing insider information about tenders.
As alleged, in June, Mr. Jain had asked his co-conspirators to arrange a firm for the tender for the construction of EMRS at different locations in Odisha floated by Bridge & Roof Company. Accordingly, Mr. Ranjan contacted Mr. Thakkar, who zeroed in on Mr. Rajyaguru.
On July 22, Mr. Rajyaguru told Mr. Jain that he had little idea about the Bridge & Roof Company and its dealings, at which the latter informed him that it was a Central government entity. He assured the company proprietor of huge profits.
Following an agreement, Mr. Jain allegedly started sharing information with the proprietor to ensure that the tender was awarded to his company. Through Mr. Chandra, he told Mr. Rajyaguru to submit price bids at lower than 7% of the rate given in the Notice Inviting Tender as there were many bidders.
Mr. Jain later informed Mr. Chandra that five bidders had participated and two of them did not make it to the next round. Bids of the rest, including Mr. Rajyaguru’s company, would be opened on July 31. Subsequently, the alleged middlemen demanded bribe for the unknown public servants on Mr. Jain’s behalf, as alleged. More details about the tender process were provided to him.
On August 10, Mr. Jain told Mr. Chandra that he had ensured that the EMRS (Odisha) tender worth ₹56 crore was awarded to Mr. Rajyaguru. Mr. Chandra then contacted Mr. Ranjan for some token money of the total 4% of the tender value to be sent to Mr. Jain. He added that 3% of the value would be given to the Bridge & Roof Company officials and 1% divided among the middlemen.
It is alleged that the proprietor promised that he would send about ₹20 lakh to one of the middlemen for the officials concerned. Between August 12 and September 11, he allegedly paid different amounts to the middlemen, directly or through “hawala” channels, for the unknown officials.
Acting on a tip-off that the bribe amount would be delivered to Mr. Jain on September 15 through the “hawala” channel in Kolkata, the CBI laid a trap and seized ₹19.96 lakh on cash. Subsequently, the arrests were made. Searches were also conducted in Kolkata, Delhi, Noida, Mumbai, Nagpur, Mumbai and other places linked to the accused persons. An additional sum of ₹26.60 lakh was seized, according to the agency.
