Jerath, Rai chargesheeted

CHANDIGARH, Sept 6: Carrying investigation in the case concerning the alleged preparation of highly inflated estimates of the cable to be...

CHANDIGARH, Sept 6: Carrying investigation in the case concerning the alleged preparation of highly inflated estimates of the cable to be laid down between Sector 34 and 21, UT Vigilance Department today presented the chargesheet against the accused in the court of UT District and Sessions Judge B.S. Bedi.

The challan pertains to FIR dated March 16 under Sections 13 1, d, 2 and 15 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, along with Sections 409, 120 B and 511 of the IPC. The FIR, it may be recalled, was registered after an official enquiry was conducted on a complaint regarding highly inflated tenders for the work being accepted by UT Engineering Department. The complaint was lodged by contractor Jagdish Singh Sawhney with the former Home Secretary Anuradha Gupta.

The accused named in the over 400 page challan, are: K.K. Jerath, former UT Chief Engineer, C.J. Rai, J.C. Gilhotra, J.K. Gandhi, XENs A.S. Gulati and H.S. Brar, apart from V.K. Narula, chief head draftsman working in the Superintending Engineer8217;s office.

Allegations against the accused are that they prepared highly inflated estimates of works. It has been alleged that an estimate of Rs 43.51 lakh was prepared though later the work was allotted only for Rs 19.83 lakh. The challan further alleges that no quotations were sought from the market and that market rates at that time were much low. XLPE cables, of different specifications, it was alleged, were available in the market at lower rates, but the department allotted cable work at double, treble prices.

It has further been alleged that though a certain draftsman had raised objections with regard to the fact that the rates were on the higher side, the same were ignored by the department.

It needs to be mentioned here that the said FIR was lodged after an enquiry was conducted into the matter by Deputy Home Secretary Sanjeev Khirwar. This enquiry report was submitted by Khirwar on June 16, 1998. Registration of the FIR, however, came about on March 16, 1999 and arrests were further delayed by about three months. The arrests in this case were effected in June. While Jerath was the first one to be arrested, C.J. Rai, J.C. Gilhotra and J.K. Gandhi followed suit.