The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered a case against a former staff member of the then Minister of State for Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises, and some senior officials of the Engineering Projects India Limited (EPIL) on the charge of receiving bribe pertaining to some tenders during 2016-17.
Babul Supriyo, who joined the Trinamool Congress in September 2021, held the charge of the Ministry during the check period.
Among those named by the agency as accused in the First Information Report (FIR) are the EPIL’s then executive director Harcharan Pal, manager Paritosh Kumar Praveen, deputy general manager R.S. Tyagi; Sushanta Mallick, who was a staffer of the then Minister of State for Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises; Ashutosh Bandhopadhayay and his company.
As mentioned in the FIR, the accused EPIL officials had demanded ₹50 lakh in bribe from Mr. Bandhopadhayay for extending favour in tenders being awarded by the EPIL in 2016-17.
“Verification has revealed that S.P.S. Bakshi, the then CMD, EPIL; Mr. Harcharan Pal, the then executive director, EPIL; Mr. Paritosh Kumar Praveen, the then manager (grade-II), EPIL; Mr. R.S. Tyagi, the then DGM (on contract), EPIL; conspired and demanded ₹50 lakh from Mr. Ashutosh Bandhopadhayay....,” said the FIR. However, Mr. Bakshi has not been named as an accused.
The agency alleged that ₹40 lakh was to be given to the top official, while ₹10 lakh was to be sent to Mr. Pal and Mr. Praveen. However, it was later conveyed to Mr. Bandhopadhayay through Mr. Tyagi that from the total amount, ₹5 lakh was to be transferred to the bank account of Mr. Mallick, which was done in December 2016.
