Pragati Maidan revamp: Court extends CBI custody of 4 accused

A Delhi court today extended the CBI custody of four people arrested in a case of alleged corruption in the Rs 2,150 crore re-development project of ITPO Complex at Pragati Maidan here, in which NBCC chairman- cum-managing director Anoop Mittal has been made an accused.
Duty Magistrate Sumit Anand extended the CBI custody of Sanjay Kulkarni, managing director of Capacite Structures, and Ghaziabad-based middleman Rishabh Agrawal by three days.
The court also extended the CBI custody of public servant Pradeep Mishra and Akashdeep Chouhan, who allegedly delivered the bribe, by two more days after all the four were produced before it on expiry of their earlier custody.

In its application, the CBI sought the custody of all the four accused by five more days, saying their custodial interrogation was required and they were to be confronted with each other.
Advocate Vijay Aggarwal, appearing for Kulkarni, opposed the remand application saying that the offence was punishable only up to seven-year imprisonment and hence, the arrest itself was illegal.
The agency booked Mittal, Kulkarni, Agrawal, Mishra and Chouhan in the case on December 22.

It alleged in the FIR that the contract to redevelop the prime land at Pragati Maidan was awarded to Shapoorji Pallonji and Company Pvt. Ltd. and Shapoorji Pallonji Qatar WLL for Rs 2,149.93 crore by NBCC, and Mumbai-based Capacite Structures was trying to get that work from Shapoorji Pallonji on sub-contract.

Kulkarni had approached Agrawal, the middleman, having good contacts with public servants for getting the sub- contract in favour of the company, it alleged.
The FIR alleged Agrawal approached Pradeep Kumar Mishra, a public servant in an intelligence agency who was on deputation and was also close to certain senior functionaries of NBCC Ltd.
Under the influence of Mishra, Mittal "strongly directed" the executive director of NBCC to settle the matter in favour of Capacite Structures, it alleged.
The CBI said in furtherance of the conspiracy, a meeting was held on December 15, 2017, between Kulkarni, representative of Shapoorji Pallonji, including Sanjay Kharkhanis, and senior officials of NBCC.

After the meeting, Mittal assured Kulkarni and Mishra about getting work from Shapoorji Pallonji and that if Capacite Structure does not get the work, he would "ensure that it would not be given to any one else", the FIR alleged.
The agency arrested Mishra, while he was allegedly receiving the promised bike as illegal gratification from Akashdeep Chouhan, staff of Kulkarni, the sources said.