CBI files case against two FCI officers for manipulating contract

The trio is accused of conspiracy and corruption in a Rs 50-crore Stevedoring Clearing Handling and Transportation SCH038;T contract of the Central government in 2006. The contract was meant for stevedoring more than 13 lakh metric tons of wheat that India imported through Kandla port that year and later transporting packaged wheat to various places across the country, the CBI said.

According to CBI sleuths, FCI General Manager Gujarat region Abdul Rub, along with Assistant General Manager P R Anil, allegedly manipulated some terms and conditions of a government tender. This, the CBI said, was done to facilitate owner of Vadodara-Kailash Enterprises, Pradeep Jha, get the contract.

Jha, who is accused of forging documents to grab the contract, has been booked along with Rub and Anil, the CBI added.

According to the case details, in 2006, the Indian government had imported huge quantity of wheat through various ports in the country. About 13 lakh metric ton of this consignment was offloaded at Kandla and the SCH038;T contract for this consignment was given to Jha.

This happened despite Jha8217;s firm neither being financially sound enough to get the contract, nor having the qualified stevedores, the CBI said. During investigation, the CBI also found that Jha had used forged documents to show assets worth Rs 1.5 crore, as had been specified in the tender.

The CBI filed a formal complaint against the trio after strong evidence against the three was collected in simultaneous searches conducted by the agency at seven premises on Wednesday morning.