RAW tent purchase: CBI registers case against SFF officials, builders

The investigative agency alleges irregularities in purchase of tents resulting in undue gain of Rs 22 crore to suppliers

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered a case against unknown officials of the Cabinet Secretariat, and of a unit under the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) , the wife of a former defence contractor and others for alleged irregularities in purchases of tents. Special Frontier Force (SFF) under the RAW unit bought the tents during the United Progressive Alliance  rule.

Sai Baba Builders and Consultants, a firm dealing with construction, supplied high altitude tents required by SFF during 2009-13, a CBI source said. The transaction resulted in an alleged undue gain of Rs 22 crore to the suppliers. The company could not be reached for comments.

The first information report (FIR) has been filed against three directors of Delhi-based Sai Baba Builders and Consultants — Shyam Sunder Bhatter, Manjari (wife of former defence contractor Shambhu Prasad Singh) and J P N Singh — Cabinet Secretariat and SFF officials, the source added. Sai Baba Builders has also been named in the case.

This comes after the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) had forwarded the probe to CBI earlier this month on RAW’s recommendation, sources said. According to reports, RAW had carried out an internal probe in the matter in which prima facie irregularities were found. A text message sent to Shambhu Prasad Singh remained unanswered.

Shambhu Prasad Singh, who’s not named in the FIR, ran two companies under Rely Group — Dynamic Shells and Sai Baba Builders and Consultants. CBI sources said these firms were earlier under the scanner of the agency in connection with a 2011 case for allegedly issuing fake bank guarantees to Assam Rifles. These companies were subsequently blacklisted.

RAW is administered by the Cabinet Secretariat and SFF was formed under the administrative control of RAW after the 1962 India-China war.

A CBI official said unknown officials of the Cabinet Secretariat and SFF were “repeatedly showing favours in the supply of pre-fabricated shelters for SFF at high altitude locations causing undue gain to the suppliers to the extent of Rs 22 crore”.

“It has been alleged that wrongful favour was shown by the officials of SFF and the Cabinet Secretariat in the matter of the preparation of tender, procurement, supply and installation of the pre-fabricated shelters for SFF troops during 2009-13, which were purchased from the company,” said the official. Single tendering was done to favour the company involved in the purchase of high-altitude tents, it is alleged.

The case has been registered under Sections 120-B, 420, 467, 468 and 471 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) Act and 13(2), 13(1)(d) of the Prevention of

Corruption Act. CBI officials conducted searches at four places in Delhi and Kolkata on Wednesday.