CBI files chargesheet in Gomti river front project case

The Central Bureau of Investigation has filed a chargesheet against two public servants and four others for alleged irregularities in the award of an intercepting-trunk drain work related to the Uttar Pradesh’s Gomti river front project involving ₹1,400 crore.

The agency has arraigned the then Executive Engineer Roop Singh Yadav, and then Junior Assistant (Irrigation Works) Raj Kumar Yadav; K.K. Spun Pipe Private Limited, its two directors Himanshu Gupta and Kavish Gupta; and Badri Shrestha, a senior advisor to Brand Eagles Longjian JV.

The agency had registered the case in November 2017 on a request from the Uttar Pradesh government. It alleged irregularities in the implementation of “Gomti River Channelisation Project”’ and the “Gomti River Front Development” by the Irrigation Department, Government of UP.

Investigations revealed that the accused officials awarded the work for intercepting-trunk drain to an ineligible private firm. The date of tender was extended twice to accommodate it. Forged documents of another bidder, a private company, were also arranged by the accused to complete the quorum of three participants in the tender. An agreement for the work was allegedly executed without getting the necessary approval and allotment of funds.

“The bank guarantee of the L-2 firm was allegedly prepared from the bank account of the L-1 company. During investigation, both the public servants were arrested on November 19, 2020, and they are presently in judicial custody,” said an official.