Gosikhurd irrigation scam: 2 retired engineers among 9 booked

The Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) today filed a complaint against nine persons, including two retired engineers and six contractors, for alleged fraud and corruption in the execution of the Mokhabardi lift irrigation, part of the Gosikhurd inter-district irrigation project.
Based on the complaint, cases were filed against them by the city police.
Superintendent of Police Milind Totre of Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) Nagpur, who investigated the scam, lodged a formal complaint with Sadar Police Station here in the city, under whose jurisdiction the office of Vidarbha Irrigation Development Corporation (VIDC) falls.
"Offences under relevant sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 and IPC sections 420 (cheating), 471 (using as genuine a forged document or electronic record), 101 (causing any harm other than death) and 120b (criminal conspiracy) were registered against the nine accused," Totre told PTI.

He said the offence is related to earth-work of Mokhabardi lift irrigation work under Gosikhurd project.
The two engineers, now retired from the VIDC and a serving senior divisional accounts officer along with nine contractors were involved in irregularities in the tender process and formed a ring by submitting illegal documents for bidding.

Retired Chief Engineer Sopan Suryawanshi (65), retired executive engineer Umashankar Vasudeo Parvate (59), serving senior divisional accounts officer Chandan Tulshiram Jibhkate (57) with R J Shah and Company, a joint venture firm from Mumbai and D Thakkar Construction Company, Kalindi Rajendra Shah (67), Tejaswini Rajendra Shah (64), Vishal Praveen Thakkar (36), Jigar Praveen Thakkar (38), Praveen Nathalal Thakkar (67) and one Arun Kumar Gupta were booked today.

According to Totre, the R J Shah & Company and D Thakkar Construction Company submitted four tenders and the initial bidding amount was paid by Thakkar company. Thakkar had no previous work experience of canal earth work and in irrigation work, but submitted bogus and illegal papers to bag the contract in year 2009.
"This was the second such major offence in the alleged Rs 70,000 crore Gosikhurd Irrigation scam," he said.