CBI files chargesheet against senior CR official, two others in tender irregularities case | Mumbai news
MUMBAI: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday submitted its chargesheet in a city court against a senior Central Railway (CR) official and two private individuals. They are accused of lobbying for a supplier firm based in Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, and are alleged to have been involved in irregularities related to the awarding of tenders worth ₹1.10 crore.
The accused official, H Narayanan, a civil servant of the Indian Railway Stores Service, had allegedly awarded tenders for the supply of air compressors to the firm despite knowing that their product quality was dubious in lieu of bribes, according to the CBI.
Narayanan is the deputy chief materials manager (electrical) at Material Management Department, Central Railways, Mumbai. Apart from Narayanan, the CBI named two private persons, Samir Dave, a liaison agent under the CBI scanner for his activities, and Deepak Jain, who was allegedly in contact with the official to seek favours for the firm. They were also involved in bribe transactions meant for the official, CBI sources said.
The CBI submitted its chargesheet in the case on receipt of permission to prosecute Narayanan from the Competent Authority of the Railway. The CBI’s probe is based on a case it had registered against the three accused on November 30, 2023, under sections of the Indian Penal Code and Prevention of Corruption Act relevant to the offences of criminal conspiracy, bribing of public servant, taking undue advantage to influence public servant by corrupt or illegal means or by exercise of personal influence, bribing a public servant by a commercial organisation, person in charge of commercial organisation to be guilty, obtaining undue advantage without consideration by public servant and abetment.
The CBI’s probe in the case had begun with the information that Dave was allegedly in the habit of regularly bribing certain senior railway officers for the grant of favours related to the awarding of tenders to private suppliers represented by him. It was further revealed that Narayanan had allegedly demanded illegal gratification from the firm through Dave, for awarding to it tenders for the supply of air compressors required by CR. The CBI probe revealed that as part of the conspiracy among the accused, Narayanan had allegedly awarded purchase orders for procurement of air compressors worth ₹1.10 crore to the firm on November 2, 2023, despite knowing that the quality of the company’s product was dubious.
Dave and Jain had allegedly conspired to deliver illegal gratification to Narayanan with the latter’s consent. It was alleged that Jain had allegedly deposited funds worth around ₹84,000 in November 2023, into the Dave’s bank account, who in turn had informed Narayanan about the receipt of the funds. According to CBI, Dave had allegedly agreed to deliver the illegal gratification to Narayanan at his office on November 30, 2023.
