Completed prelim enquiry into Rs 10-bn BSNL corruption case: CBI to HC

It has alleged that officials of BSNL had connived with M/s ZTE Telecom India Pvt Ltd, a Chinese contractor, and forged official records of BSNL

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The CBI has told the Delhi High Court that it has completed its preliminary enquiry into allegations that some BSNL officials caused a loss of about Rs 10 billion to the exchequer by releasing unauthorised payment to a subsidiary of a Chinese firm by fabricating documents.

The agency told a bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar that the investigating officer was yet to submit his findings to his superiors and sought more time to file a report regarding its enquiry.

The court gave six weeks to the CBI to file a status report and listed the matter for further hearing on October 22.

On March 6, the CBI had told the court that its preliminary enquiry into the allegations against BSNL was at an advanced stage.

BSNL has refuted the allegations.
 

The court was hearing a plea by NGO Telecom Watchdog, which has claimed that it was a huge case of corruption involving about Rs 10 billion.

It has alleged that officials of Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) had connived with M/s ZTE Telecom India Pvt Ltd, a Chinese contractor, and forged official records of BSNL so that "undue payments" of about Rs 10 billion could be released to the firm.

The NGO has claimed that they had filed a complaint on the issue on March 11, 2016 before the CBI, but the agency did not take any action.

The plea has sought a direction to the CBI to investigate the complaint in a time-bound manner.