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Business Standard
4 hours ago
- Business
- Business Standard
CBI books ex-officials of TCE, JNPT in ₹800 cr ship channel dredging scam
The Central Bureau of Investigation has filed a case against former officials of Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) and Tata Consulting Engineers (TCE), and two dredging companies over alleged irregularities worth over Rs 800 crore in the Capital Dredging Project to deepen ship navigational channels near Mumbai, officials said. The agency took the action after a three-year-long preliminary inquiry to look into the allegations of inflated estimates, throttling of competition to favour international bidders, extension of undue favours to contractors, and suppression of reports of independent expert organisations. In its FIR, the CBI has booked the then chief engineer of JNPT Sunil Kumar Madabhavi, then project director of TCE, Devdutt Bose, Boskalis Smit India LLP, Jan De Nul Dredging India Pvt Ltd and other unidentified public servants under IPC Section 120-B (criminal conspiracy), 420 (cheating) and provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act. After the FIR was registered on Wednesday, the CBI conducted searches at five locations in Mumbai and Chennai, including the residence of Madabhavi, Bose and offices of private companies. The searches led to the recovery of a number of documents relating to the Capital Dredging Project, digital devices and documents showing investments made by public servants, a CBI spokesperson said. The documents recovered are being examined, she said in a statement. No immediate reaction was available from the accused companies. "The allegations of pecuniary advantage obtained by the private companies as a result of abuse of official position by the JNPT officials resulting into a huge wrongful loss to the exchequer, spread over the period from 2003 to 2014 (phase-I of the project) and 2013 to 2019 (phase-II of the project) was also inquired," the CBI said in the FIR. The inquiry showed a criminal conspiracy between JNPT officials and other private persons, including an official of Tata Consulting Engineers, and others, which resulted in wrongful loss amounting to Rs 365.90 crore for phase-I and Rs 438 crore for phase-II to JNPT due to over-dredging. The case pertains to a project envisaged by the JNPT to deepen and widen the navigational channel it shared with the Mumbai Port in 2003 to cater to the needs of larger size cargo ships. TCE was roped in for preparation of a final report on the planning for dredging activities for the Capital Dredging Phase-I project, which was submitted in 2010 in association with Dredging Solution. TCE was also awarded the work of project management consultant for the project, including preparation of the tender documents and work of supervising the execution of the project, the FIR alleged. The CBI during its preliminary inquiry found that JNPT officials along with TCE executives kept tender conditions to favour foreign bidders, and violated the guidelines of Competition Commission of India by allowing complimentary bidding, and allowed the formation of the joint venture by solely eligible bidders Boskalis Smit India LLP with Jan De Nul Dredging India Pvt Ltd (also known as BSI-JDN JV). The CBI inquiry also showed violation of a number of guidelines related to fixation of rates for dredging different type of rocks, delay in project, false claim of Rs 348 crore by the contractor without actual performance of work, excess payment of Rs 430 crore, and manipulation of the pre-dredge survey by using a less accurate software, 'Qinsy', among others.
Time of India
10 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
CBI books Tata Consulting Engineers, JNPT officials for alleged running of cartel
MUMBAI: The Central Bureau of Investigation ( CBI ) has booked the project manager of Tata Consulting Engineers (TCE), the chief manager of the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust ( JNPT ) and unknown officials for allegedly causing a loss of Rs 800 crore to the exchequer by running a cartel and awarding contracts to selected international bidders. According to a first information report (FIR) filed earlier this week, Sunil Kumar Madabhavi, the chief manager (PP&D) of JNPT at the time, in conspiracy with Devdutt Bose, the then project manager of TCE, a Tata Group company, allowed complementary bidding in the tendering process. By doing so, they allowed the formation of the joint venture by the solely eligible bidders - Boskalis Smit India LLP and Jan De Nul Dredging India (also known as BSI-JDN JV). The agency has alleged that the Competition Commission of India guidelines were violated in the process. The FIR adds that a shadow bidding arrangement was put in place to support the cartel formed by Boskalis Smit India and Jan De Nul Dredging India. It said "this was allowed by Madabhavi in connivance with Bose, project manager from M/s TCE and other unknown persons, thereby allowing the said cartel to participate in the bidding process for capital Dredging Phase-ll through their joint venture namely BSI-JDN JV." ET has seen a copy of the FIR. It also said that payments amounting to Rs 348 crore in phase-ll for work already executed in phase-l, without actually performing the work, was paid, thereby causing undue advantage to BSI-JDN JV. The dredging work was carried out in two phases - Capital Dredging Project Phase I and Capital Dredging Project Phase Il. The CBI has mentioned the period of the scam as 2003 to 2019, when the two phases were executed. The FIR said "several stringent Project Qualifications (PQ) criteria and tailor-made specifications were inserted in the tender documents of Phase - ll to eliminate the Indian bidders from the competition and to the advantage of the international bidders".
