Expedite probe into procurement of mosquito nets: HC to CBI
Madras high court
recently directed the CBI to expedite investigation into an alleged scam committed by Hindustan Insecticides Limited (HIL), a public sector company, in the procurement of Long Lasting Insecticidal Nets (LLINs) to the Jharkhand govt and Central Medical Survey Services Society (CMSS), New Delhi in 2022.
The court was hearing the petition filed by A R Malaiyappasamy, president of the Karur HDPE Filament and Bednets Manufacturers Welfare Association. According to the petitioner, HIL, New Delhi, a public sector company, had obtained a contract from the Jharkhand govt and CMSS in New Delhi, for supply of mosquito nets for public use. While CMSS procured more than 40 million LLINs, the Jharkhand govt had floated a tender in 2022 for procurement of 48,000 LLINs.
The petitioner alleged that the HIL had procured LLINs from shell companies at a low cost and supplied it at a higher cost. Alleging that a fraud had been committed by HIL, the petitioner association had lodged a complaint to the CBI in March 2023. The petitioner had filed the present petition in 2024 seeking a direction to the CBI to expedite inquiry into the complaint.
Earlier, the court had directed the CBI to ascertain as to whether the shell companies through which, HIL said to have procured the nets, are having any manufacturing facilities to manufacture LLINs and regarding the actual cost of production and the cost which has been shown by HIL as procurement cost.
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Pursuant to the earlier order, the CBI submitted an interim report stating that LLINs were purchased at the lower cost from a shell company which was given purchase orders for 9.31 lakh LLINs.
However, the shell company had the capacity to manufacture 75,000 nets per month, as per the report of HIL itself.
Justice B Pugalendhi observed that the interim report submitted by the CBI reveals that there are certain prima facie materials available in the complaint of the petitioner and therefore, it needs to be prosecuted. Hence, the judge directed the CBI to proceed with the investigation and conclude the same as expeditiously as possible. The petition was disposed of.
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