CBI arrests NOIDA’s ex-chief engineer Yadav Singh in graft cases

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday arrested Yadav Singh, a suspended chief engineer with the Uttar Pradesh government, in two alleged cases of disproportionate assets and corruption. The probing agency, had, in August 2015 lodged an FIR against Singh over allegations of corruption in allotting a Rs 954.38  crore project to private agencies in December 2011. Another FIR against Singh and his family pertains to allegations of criminal conspiracy, cheating, forgery and under provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

Sources in CBI said that the agency had registered a case against Singh under Sections 409, 420, 466, 467, 469, 481 and under Prevention of Corruption Act. “He will be produced in the CBI special court in Ghaziabad,” the official further said. Singh’s arrest follows detailed questioning regarding his business links, parties who were allegedly involved in bribery and his businesses. Singh was also grilled on various aspects of the two cases and the projects handled by him.

Singh had earlier held the post of Chief Engineer with the Noida, Greater Noida and Yamuna Expressway authorities. Singh and his immediate family members have been accused of amassing assets disproportionate to their known sources of income between 2009 and 2014. 

Earlier, the CBI had arrested an Assistant Project Engineer, Ramendra in connection with corruption cases involving Yadav Singh. According to sources, Ramendra, who directly reported to Singh, maintained a diary in which meticulous details of the bribe collected from builders and contractors were maintained and how these funds were distributed among officials of Noida was also recorded.

Sources in CBI said that Ramendra is believed to have revealed the entire modus operandi adopted in the award of contracts under Yadav’s instructions. “Raminder told the agency that a commission of 5 per cent was the unwritten rule for each and every contract that was awarded by Yadav. The money was then distributed and reached everyone in the chain – right from the chief engineer to the audit controller. Contracts were decided on mobile phone through SMSs to ensure secrecy, said the official.

Sources said it was Raminder Singh’s arrest that eventually led to the revelation of several officials involved in the scam. Names of the Chief Engineer Yadav Singh, Chief Project Engineer, Chief Maintenance Engineer, Project Engineer and others also came up during the interrogation. He is said to have confessed to receiving 10 paise for every Rs 100 earned.

The official further added that Raminder revealed that he would inform Yadav of all contracts and the corresponding ‘cuts’. Raminder also said that Yadav had instructed him to ensure that his cut reached a certain accountant in the Noida Authority.