CBI books, Delhi 2 DMRC officials for bribery in contracting for fibre optics

  • Aug. 3, 2022, 1:05 p.m.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has booked two former top officials of the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), among others, for alleged corruption in tendering of optical fibre for the transport network. The officials have been identified as Prashant Rao, the then executive director, and Madan Pal, the then deputy general manager.

The agency has also booked a firm identified as M/s Tejas Network Limited.

According to the CBI, Tejas Network was awarded a tender for the design, manufacture, supply, installation, testing and commissioning of fibre optical transmission systems and wide area network systems for the Delhi MRTS Project Phase-Ill. Pal was allegedly responsible for the preparation of estimates, the floating of tenders and the calling of bids and was also a member of the tender evaluation committee.

A departmental inquiry by the DMRC found in 2018 that several irregularities were committed in the award of the contract. These included preparation of estimates on a single quotation of Tejas, allowing agencies qualified to execute projects of only Rs 30 crore in the tender that entailed Rs 49 crore, and failure to provide envelopes for bid submissions, etc.

"It was further revealed... that during the income tax raid at the premises of Tejas Network Ltd., certain documents were seized which indicated that bribes were paid to certain public servants of DMRC and other organizations in obtaining some contracts. The documents included WhatsApp chats and loose sheets indicating the percent of cuts given to employees of DMRC for getting projects from them, "the CBI FIR has said."

The agency has said these acts reveal cognisable offences amounting to criminal conspiracy, cheating, and criminal misconduct.

Author : Rajdhani Delhi Representative

Rajdhani delhi representative

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