BSP legislator under scanner in NRHM scam

The supply,valued Rs 1.94 crore,was executed by two firms,namely Rama Enterprises and Shreya Enterprises. While Namit Tandon,a contractor who reportedly attempted suicide last week and is now undergoing treatment in a local hospital,owned Rama Enterprises,the owner of Shreya Enterprises was Pradhan’s wife Anita Pradhan.

The work was allotted by PACFED,another government controlled cooperative,which had got huge orders for NRHM construction work from the Family Welfare Department without tenders at a time when Kushwaha was also cooperative minister. PACFED was paid money in advance for this work.

The CBI has found that the entire supply was actually executed by a contractor Rizwan Agha,who is close to Pradhan,acting on behalf of two firms,with the owners saying they just signed papers and cheques as he said. Also,both firms got the payment in advance.

Asked about the unusual operation,Pradhan replied,“I had allowed Rizwan Agha to use the registration of my firm. My wife is proprietor of the firm. Agha is my friend. I did not play any role or use my influence in getting him the contract of the supply work from PACFED. He had done work of the value of Rs 85 lakh in the name of my firm and the entire amount was withdrawn by him. I did not take a single penny.”

CBI officials said Namit Tandon had told them that he had never met PACFED authorities to seek order and his friend Rizwan Agha had used the name of his firm to get the work. Tandon also told the CBI that he used to put his signatures on relevant documents whenever required.

Sources said Tandon also told investigators that he was not aware about the bills generated in the name of his firm and payments received. Agha had first brought a cheque for Rs 57 lakh issued in his firm’s name. It was deposited in the firm’s bank account and Agha then told him to issue the cheques in his (Agha’s) name and to eight others.

Later,an amount of Rs 52 lakh was also transferred to the firm’s account against the work and the money was distributed among Agha and his other partners. For using the name of his firm,Agha paid Tandon about Rs 3 lakh,a CBI official said.

The official said they had convinced Tandon to turn a witness in the case,but on Saturday morning he was found lying unconscious on the railway track at Daliganj overbridge in Lucknow. His family members alleged that he had attempted suicide by jumping before a train due to harassment by the CBI.

However,the police have yet to receive a complaint from Tandon family. He is undergoing treatment at the CSM Medical University Trauma Centre and is not fit to speak.