CBI books NBCC chief for graft in `2,150-cr Pragati Maidan re-development project

New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has booked NBCC chairman-cum-managing director (CMD) Anoop Kumar Mittal for alleged corruption in the Rs 2,150-crore re-development project of ITPO Complex at Pragati Maidan here and arrested a government official and another person in connection with the case, agency officials said here on Saturday. The CBI arrested government official Pradeep Kumar Mishra and Akashdeep Chauhan and carried out searches in Ghaziabad, Delhi and Mumbai, sources in the CBI said.

Residential and official premises of Mittal were not searched, they added. Mishra and Chauhan have been sent to four-day police custody by a special CBI court on Saturday. The agency alleged in the FIR that a contract was awarded to a joint venture of Shapoorji Pallonji and Company Pvt Ltd and Shapoorji Pallonji Qatar WLL for Rs 2,149.93 crore by NBCC (India) Ltd and Mumbai-based Capacite Structures was trying to get the work from Shapoorji Pallonji on subcontract basis.

According to the CBI FIR, the deal for sub-contract of Rs 2,149.93 crore was influenced by a government official who had demanded a Royal Enfield bike as illegal gratification to exert influence on Mittal and swing the deal in favour of Capacite.

It is alleged that Sanjay Kulkarni, Managing Director of Capacite Structures, approached a middleman, Rishabh Agrawal, having good contacts with public servants for bagging the sub-contract. The FIR alleged that Agrawal approached Pradeep Kumar Mishra, a public servant who is close to certain senior functionaries of NBCC Ltd.

Mishra assured Agrawal that the sub-contract would go to Capacite Structure if he was given a new Royal Enfield Bullet motorcycle which was agreed by Kulkarni, the FIR alleged. Under the influence of Mishra, Mittal "strongly directed" the Executive Director of NBCC to settle the matter in favour of Capacite Structures, it alleged.

The CBI said that in furtherance of the conspiracy, a meeting was held on December 15, 2017, between Kulkarni, representatives of Shapoorji Pallonji including Sanjay Kharkhanis, and senior officials of NBCC including Gupta. After the meeting, Mittal assured Kulkarni and Mishra about getting the work from Shapoorji Pallonji and that if Capacite Structure does not get the work, he would "ensure that it would not be given to anyone else", the FIR alleged.

The CBI arrested Mishra while he was allegedly receiving the promised bike as illegal gratification from Akashdeep Chouhan, a staff of Kulkarni, the sources said. The agency has filed an FIR against Mittal, Mishra, Kulkarni, Agrawal and Chouhan for criminal conspiracy and corruption.