MP EOW files cases in e-tender rigging case

The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Madhya PradeshPolice Wednesday registered cases against officials of seven companies, government departments and others including "politicians" in the Rs 3,000 crore e-tender rigging racket.

The racket, where e-tender portal of the government was hacked to manipulate tenders and grab contracts, was allegedly operating when the BJP was in power.

The development comes three days after the Income Tax department raided places linked to aides ofChief Minister Kamal Nath.

The EOW has filed cases against directors and marketing representatives of seven companies, unknown officials of five state government departments and politicians, a senior EOW official said here.

They were charged under IPC section 420 (cheating), the Information Technology Act and Prevention of Corruption Act.

The seven construction companies involved in the alleged racket were GVPR Limited, Ms Max Maintaina (both based in Hyderabad), The Hume Pipe Limited and JMC Limited (both based in Mumbai), Sorathia Velji Limited and Ms Madhav Infra Projects (both based in Vadodara) and Ram Kumar Narwani Limited (based in Bhopal), the EOW said in a release.

Some officials of Bhopal-based OSMO IT Solution which issued 'signature certificate' for e-tenders too have been charged.

Government departments including Jal Nigam, Lok Nirman Vibhag (Public Works Department and its Project Implementation Unit), MP Road Development Corporation and Water Resources Development had floated nine tenders which were tampered with.

Some officials of two software firms which developed the e-tendering portal of the MP Electronic Development Corporation are also under scanner for leaking information which allowed hacking of the portal, the EOW official said.

The companies allegedly hacked the MP e-tendering portal to quote lowest rates and bag projects worth Rs 3,000 crore between January to March2018.

These tenders were later cancelled.

In the run-up to the November 2018 Assembly polls, the Congress had targeted the BJP government over the alleged racket.