Court summons DJB's junior engineer, others in corruption case

A junior engineer of Delhi Jal Board (DJB) and two other persons, chargesheeted by CBI for allegedly causing a loss of Rs 1.79 lakh to the exchequer by submitting a forged bill, have been summoned by a special court here.

The court issued summons to Vinod Kumar, junior engineer of DJB, Vinod Gupta, proprietor of M/s Waterwell Drillers and Vinod Kumar Verma, one of the firm's employees, for February one after taking cognisance of the charge sheet filed against them by the CBI.

CBI had chargesheeted the accused for the offences under various sections of the IPC, including 420 (cheating), 468 (forgery for the purpose of cheating), 471 (using as genuine a forged document), 477-A (falsification of accounts) and under provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

"Prima facie offences under section 120-B (criminal conspiracy), IPC read with section 420... Are made out against accused Vinod Gupta and Vinod Kumar Verma of M/s Waterwell Drillers and offence under section 13(2) read with section 13(1) (d) of Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 as substantive offence and offences under section....Are made out against accused Vinod Kumar, junior engineer, DJB," Special CBI Judge Swarana Kanta Sharma said.

The CBI, in its charge sheet, had alleged that a bill was forged by Verma at the instance of Vinod Gupta who had claimed an extra amount of Rs 1.62 lakh by showing purchase of a 60 metre pipe and its use for re-boring a tubewell at Palam village.

The agency said that Rs 1,79,400 was given by the DJB to Vinod Gupta, who was proprietor of the private firm which had entered into a contract agreement with the DJB for the work.

It alleged that as per the conditions of the agreement, the contractor was required to use slotted pipes of 'Johnson' make in the borewell but Gupta had submitted a forged bill for Rs 2,28,080 purportedly showing purchase of items, including a 60 metre pipe for an amount of Rs 1,62,000.