AHMEDABAD, DEC 29: Principal Secretary of Jammu and Kashmir Government and former Chairman of Kandla Port Trust H K L Kadlabju was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation on Wednesday evening. He was produced before a special judge of the sessions court on Thursday evening who sent him to seven days' remand in CBI custody to facilitate further investigation.Kadlabju was arrested for his involvement in awarding a contract at a higher rate to a Hyderabad-based company in 1998 during his tenure as KPT chairman. The CBI arrested Kadlabju immediately after the High Court rejected his anticipatory bail application on Wednesday.On December 15, CBI teams conducted simultaneous raids at the homes and offices of five senior officials of KPT while another CBI team led by Inspector Rajiv Chandola conducted a search at Jammu Circuit House on the same night. Kadlabju had been staying there since his transfer from KPT to J & K government as its Principal Secretary. CBI officials seized Rs 10 lakh in cash and some documents from the Circuit House.Later, another search operation at Kadlabju's Ahmedabad residence by CBI officials led to seizure of Rs 26.4 lakh.CBI sources said the main charge against Kadlabju was awarding a contract for construction of an eighth jetty at KPT to Dharti Dredging and Construction Company Limited in 1998 at a very high cost. "It seems from the preliminary investigation that the then chairman Kadlabju connived with some of his other colleagues and awarded the contract to Dharti in exchange of a kickback," the source said. The agency also has information about his four other bank accounts in Gujarat and Jammu.
