Latest news with #DevduttBose
The Hindu
16-07-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Bombay High Court criticises CBI over privacy breach in ₹800 crore scam probe, grants relief to TCE
The Bombay High Court on Tuesday (July 15, 2025) stayed a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe against Tata Consulting Engineers (TCE) in connection with an alleged ₹800 crore scam linked to the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority's (JNPA) capital dredging project, citing procedural lapses during the agency's investigation. A Division Bench of Justice A.S. Gadkari and Justice Rajesh Patil passed the interim order while hearing a petition filed by TCE seeking quashing of a first information report (FIR) lodged on June 18. The FIR named former JNPA chief manager Sunil Kumar Madabhavi, TCE director Devdutt Bose, Boskalis Smit India LLP, Mumbai, and Jan De Nul Dredging India Pvt. Ltd, Chennai and other officials and firms involved in the project. 'It was alleged that during the maintenance of dredged channels in Phase-I of the project, JNPA made excess payments aggregating to ₹365.9 crore to the contractors against claims raised for over-dredging of channels. However, in Phase-Il of the project, which overlapped with the maintenance period of Phase-I, JNPT [Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust] made an additional excess payment of ₹438 crore to the contractor, showing that no over-dredging was done in Phase-l or maintenance period thereof,' the CBI's statement read. These alleged losses were based on over-dredging claims and falsified hydrographic data. The FIR invokes sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy) and 420 (cheating) of the Indian Penal Code, along with provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act. TCE, which was appointed as the project management consultant in 2003, submitted the final project report for Phase I in 2010. Its responsibilities included preparation of tender documents and supervision of project execution. Searches were conducted at the residential premises of officers of JNPA, TCE and offices of accused private companies at five different locations in Mumbai and Chennai which led the investigating team to the recovery of several documents relating to the Capital Dredging Project, digital devices and documents showing investments made by public servants. Senior Advocate Amit Desai, appearing for TCE, argued that the company's role was limited to consultancy and that it had no part in contractual or financial decisions. He also contended that there was no material evidence linking the firm to the alleged fraud. The Court noted that the memo disclosed the password of a laptop belonging to Devdutt Bose, which, the Bench said, constituted a serious violation of privacy and the Information Technology Act. 'How can you publish the password of someone? This is contrary to the basis of the IT Act. You have caused damage to someone. You (CBI) cannot publish someone else's password in public. This is a very sensitive matter. This involves tampering. This in itself is mandatory grounds for discharge,' the Bench observed. The Bench also raised concerns about whether the disclosure was made with malicious intent, potentially benefiting competitors. The Court has directed the CBI to clarify key aspects of the FIR, including the source of the complaint and whether the matter had previously been examined by the Attorney General for India or the JNPT Board of Trustees, as claimed by the petitioner. The case is scheduled to be heard again after two weeks.
Time of India
01-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
804cr fraud: ED case against Tata co, former JNPT officials
Mumbai: ED has registered a money laundering case against former officials of Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) and Tata Consulting Engineers (TCE), a project management consultant, over allegations of corruption and fraud in the awarding and execution of a contract to increase the depth of the channel for large cargo ships in 2003-14 and 2013-19 and causing a loss of Rs 804 crore to govt. The case is based on an FIR by CBI, which conducted searches last month at former JNPT officers' residences, TCE and the offices of accused private firms in Mumbai and Chennai. The CBI FIR named then JNPT chief manager Sunil Kumar Madabhavi, TCE and its project director Devdutt Bose, BoskalisSmit India and Jan De Nul Dredging India, along with unidentified public and private persons. It alleged "shadow bidding arrangements to support the cartel made by BoskalisSmit India LLP and Jan De Nul Dredging India Pvt Ltd were permitted by Madabhavi in connivance with Bose and other unidentified individuals". —Vijay V Singh You Can Also Check: Mumbai AQI | Weather in Mumbai | Bank Holidays in Mumbai | Public Holidays in Mumbai Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Doctor's Day 2025 , messages and quotes!
Indian Express
28-06-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
ED launches probe into ‘Rs 800 crore graft' case linked to Navi Mumbai dredging project
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has launched a money laundering investigation into the Rs 800 crore graft case linked to the Capital Dredging Project at Nhava Sheva port in Navi Mumbai. The central agency registered an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) on Friday and initiated a probe to examine the money laundering aspect of the entire graft case, sources said. The ED's case is based on the predicate offence registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) around 10 days ago. The CBI lodged a case against former chief manager of the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA) Sunil Kumar Madabhavi, Tata Consulting Engineers (TCE), Mumbai, as well as several private individuals and entities. The other accused named in the First Information Report (FIR) include TCE director Devdutt Bose; M/s Boskalis Smit India LLP, Mumbai; and M/s Jan De Nul Dredging India Pvt Ltd, based in Chennai. The case, registered on June 18, 2025, stems from allegations that a criminal conspiracy was orchestrated between JNPA officials and a consortium of private firms, one based in Mumbai and the other in Chennai, to siphon off public funds under the guise of project payments, the CBI said. According to the CBI, the alleged irregularities occurred during the execution of a Capital Dredging Project aimed at deepening the port's navigational channel to accommodate larger vessels. During Phase-I of the project, JNPA reportedly made excessive payments totalling Rs 365.90 crore to contractors for supposed over-dredging work. However, the payments came under scrutiny after it was revealed that during Phase-II, which coincided with the maintenance period of Phase-I, an additional Rs 438 crore was disbursed under the claim that no over-dredging had taken place in the previous phase, thereby contradicting earlier assertions. After lodging the FIR, the CBI teams raided the residences of former JNPA officials, offices of the private companies involved, and the premises of the consulting firm at five locations in Mumbai and Chennai. A large cache of project-related documents, digital devices, and evidence, allegedly indicating illicit investments made by public servants linked to the scam, has been seized during the exercise. 'The seized materials are currently under examination, and further inquiries are underway to determine the full scope of financial irregularities and identify all individuals involved,' a CBI spokesperson said. In coordination with the CBI, ED officials may soon summon the accused persons for inquiry, another source said.
The Print
21-06-2025
- Business
- The Print
What is CBI's case against Tata firm, Nehru Port Trust officials booked in Rs 800 cr dredging ‘scam'
Dredging of ports involves removal of marine rocks and clay from beneath the water surface to increase the depth of the navigation channel. In the case of JNPT, the process started in May 2003. The plan was to accommodate large-size cargo ships. According to the agency, alleged irregularities inflicted a loss of Rs 365.9 crore on JNPT during the first phase of dredging, which was conducted between 2010 and 2014, and Rs 438 crore in the second phase, which was said to have been conducted between 2012 and 2019. New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has booked Tata Consulting Engineers, a Tata Group company, other private firms, and some officials with Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT), a public sector undertaking, for allegedly causing losses of nearly Rs 803 crore to the Nhava Sheva Port. In its FIR, the agency attributed said losses to alleged cartelisation in contracts and inflated bills for port dredging. On Wednesday, the CBI booked Tata Consulting Engineers project director Devdutt Bose; Sunil Kumar Madabhavi, a chief manager-level officer of the JNPT; two other firms in the marine engineering field, Mumbai-based Boskalis Smit India LLP and Chennai-based Jan De Nul Dredging India; and some unidentified public servants in the case. The CBI FIR, filed Wednesday, came more than three years after the probe agency, in June 2022, opened a preliminary enquiry (PE) into the allegations of collusion between JNPT officials and some private companies, leading to inflated estimates and restricted competition aimed at extending benefits solely to the colluding companies. Moreover, the CBI said it found that suppression of reports of independent experts and abuse of positions by JNPT officials resulted in excess payment for dredging beyond the Design Dredge Level (DDL). During the inquiry, 'the criminal conspiracy between the JNPT officials and other private persons, resulting in the wrongful loss, amounting to Rs 365.90 crore for phase-I and Rs 438 crore for phase-II to JNPT due to over-dredging has surfaced,' a CBI official noted in the complaint, which formed the basis of the CBI FIR. Also Read: What court said while acquitting former coal secretary & joint secretary in Mahuagarhi coal block case CBI FIR on conflict of interest, excess payment Nearly seven years after receiving a detailed report to increase the depth of the navigational channel at the port, the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) roped in the Tata Consulting Engineer (TCE) for a final report on the dredging plan and cost estimate. The TCE and Dredging Solution, another firm, prepared the final report in December 2010, the CBI FIR has documented. The TCE was also awarded the work of the project management consultant for the first phase. So, it was responsible for preparing tender documents and supervising project execution, the CBI FIR has further stated. Moreover, the TCE recommended three alternative dredging proposals and the modalities for each. It also recommended a second phase of the exercise to cater to the expected increased traffic at the port in 2020. Then, TCE, jointly with E&Y and Howe Engineering Project (India), prepared a final report. Similar to the final report of the first phase, Howe Engineering Project (India) suggested three alternatives for dredging to accommodate 20-foot-size ships, which have a capacity of 12,500 20-foot equivalent units. TCE was also made the project management consultant for the second phase, ignoring the conflict of interest. In the complaint to the agency, leading to an FIR, a CBI official noted a 'significant delay' in the dredging work from 2010 onwards, without proper assessment of prevailing dredging requirements since the detailed project report was prepared way back in May 2003. The investigators further noted that while the first phase was in progress, JNPT management led by Sunil Kumar Madabhavi had already assigned TCE the work to write the final report for the second phase. The second phase of the project began and the payment for it made based on the TCE report in violation of the JNPT board-adopted project note, which explicitly mentioned that the two phases of dredging would be taken up separately. The CBI FIR has noted that in the first phase, the excess dredging, 14.85 million cubic metre beyond the DDL, resulted in a Rs 365.90 crore excess payment, a loss for the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust. 'JNPT officials, in connivance with the PMC (project management consultant) and contractor, have also made an excess payment of Rs.430 crores to the contractor for over dredging made in Phase-II,' the FIR has stated. According to the CBI FIR, two different software were used to conduct the survey before and after the second phase of dredging. The pre-dredging survey used one software known for accuracy and widely accepted globally. However, the post-dredging survey used software patented by one of the parties in the deal on the behest of one Devdutt Bose, the project director on behalf of TCE, the FIR has claimed. Additionally, the CBI FIR alleged that Bose, along with JNPT chief manager in the planning, projects, and development (PP&D) department Sunil Kumar Madabhavi, hatched a conspiracy to allow shadow bidding by a joint venture between Boskalis Smit India LLP and Jan De Nul Dredging India and extended undue financial favours, including payments amounting to Rs 348 crore to the companies in the second phase for work already executed in the first phase, without any such work taking place. 'The above acts of commission and omission on the part of 1) Shri Sunil Kumar Madabhavi, the then Chief Manager (PP&D), JNPT, 2) Shri Devdutt Bose, Project Director with M/s TCE, 3) M/s Tata Consulting Engineers, 4) M/s BoskalisSmit India LLP, 5) M/s Jan De Nul Dredging India Pvt. Ltd. and 6) other unknown public servant and private persons, disclose commission of offences punishable U/s 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of IPC r/w 420 (cheating) of IPC and Section 13 (2) r/w 13(1) (d) of PC Act, 1988 (un-amended) and substantive offences thereof. Therefore, it is requested that a regular case may be registered against the above mentioned persons,' the CBI official documented. (Edited by Madhurita Goswami) Also Read: Another closure report in 2010 CWG 'scam'. Here's what happened to the 19 FIRs filed since 2010
Mint
21-06-2025
- Business
- Mint
CBI files FIR against ex-officers of JNPT, Tata firm over ₹800 cr irregularities in dredging project; conducts searches
The CBI has registered a case against former officials of Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) and Tata Consulting Engineers (TCE), as well as as two dredging companies, alleging irregularities worth more than ₹ 800 crore. As per officials, the alleged irregularities are linked to the Capital Dredging Project to deepen ship navigational channels near Mumbai. The federal investigative agency's action comes after three years of a preliminary inquiry that took a look into accusations of inflated estimates, halting of competition to benefit international bidders, extending undue favours to contactors, and suppression of reports of independent expert organisations. The CBI in its FIR has booked named 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. The case has been lodged under IPC Section 120-B (criminal conspiracy), 420 (cheating) and provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act. Following the registration of its FIR, the CBI searched five locations in Mumbai and Chennai, including the homes of Madabhavi and 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 ₹ 365.90 crore for phase-I and ₹ 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).
