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New Indian Express
2 days ago
- New Indian Express
South Zone Culture Centre officer booked for fraud
MADURAI: The Anti-Corruption Bureau of the Central Bureau of Investigation, Madurai, has registered a case against Meenakshi Natha Pillai, who works as accounts unit officer in the South Zone Culture Centre located in Thanjavur, and his five relatives, for allegedly misappropriating Rs 2.24 crore between 2019 and 2023. According to FIR, the case was filed against G Meenakshi Natha Pillai, his brothers G Sakthivel and G Subramaniya Pillai, sister G Thayammal, and sisters-in-law D Suba and K Subhashini Pillai. They have been charged under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Prevention of Corruption (PC) Act. In his complaint, the centre's director KK Gopalakrishnan alleged that Pillai engaged in corrupt, fraudulent, and unethical practices. Further, Pillai has been accused of operating five companies under his relatives' names, and using the companies to participate in the centre's tenders. He allegedly misused various funds by collecting quotations from these companies and becoming a successful vendor for the supply of goods to the SZCC, he said.
Time of India
05-08-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
PWD corruption case: ‘No proof' against Delhi ex-minister Satyendar Jain; court accepts CBI closure report
NEW DELHI: A Delhi court on Monday accepted the closure report filed by CBI in a case registered against former Delhi minister Satyendar Jain and others over allegations of irregular engagement of professionals in the PWD and payments made from unrelated project funds. The court of special judge Dig Vinay Singh noted that despite several years of investigation, no incriminating evidence was found against anyone to support charges under the Prevention of Corruption (POC) Act, 1988, or any other offence. "When the investigating agency has not found any incriminating evidence over such a long period to prove the commission of any offence, particularly under the POC Act, 1988, further proceedings would serve no useful purpose. Not every decision made in an official capacity-that does not strictly follow rules-warrants invoking the POC Act. There must be at least some material to justify applying the provisions of the POC Act, 1988. Mere neglect of duty or improper exercise of duty alone may not constitute a violation under the POC Act," the judge said. You Can Also Check: Delhi AQI | Weather in Delhi | Bank Holidays in Delhi | Public Holidays in Delhi "It is also worth noting that, even to charge someone, mere suspicion is not enough; at least strong suspicion would be necessary to proceed," the court observed. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Is AI the secret to mastering a new language faster than ever? See why experts are buzzing. Talkpal AI Undo The FIR was registered in 2018 against Jain, who was the then PWD minister, and other PWD officials, based on a complaint from Delhi govt's directorate of vigilance. According to prosecution, Jain and PWD officials irregularly hired a 'creative team' of consultants, breaching recruitment and financial regulations. The court said CBI found no evidence of pecuniary advantage, conspiracy, or corruption, and the protest petition does not provide any sufficient prima facie evidence from investigations or otherwise, warranting further inquiry. "Since the issues relate to administrative decisions without criminal elements, and more than six years have passed, further investigation is unwarranted. CBI requests the protest petition be dismissed and the closure report accepted," the court ruled. The judge said that if any fresh material is received against anyone, CBI would be at liberty to probe the matter further. Other pending cases against Jain include CCTV project corruption case, a money laundering case and disproportionate case. In March 2025, a case was registered against Jain for allegedly accepting a Rs 7 crore bribe to waive off a penalty imposed on Bharat Electronics Ltd for delays in installing CCTV cameras in Delhi. In the money laundering case, he was arrested by ED in May 2022 for alleged money laundering. In Jan 2025, CBI informed a special court that it had secured approval from Delhi LG to prosecute Jain in a disproportionate assets case.
The Hindu
31-07-2025
- The Hindu
Vigilance court convicts former Coimbatore Corporation bill collector, husband in 2009 bribery case
The Special Court for the trial of cases registered under the Prevention of Corruption (PC) Act in Coimbatore on Thursday sentenced a former bill collector of Coimbatore Corporation and her husband to one year of Rigorous Imprisonment (RI) for demanding and accepting bribe for processing a property tax assessment application in 2009. Special judge N. Sharmila awarded the punishment to N. Sarojini, 54, and her husband P. Saravanan of Tiruchi Road at Singanallur in Coimbatore. According to the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC), Sarojini, who held the post of Junior Assistant in 2009 had been working as a bill collector in the Corporation's east zone on deputation. M. Arunachalam of Karthik Nagar at Sowripalayam had submitted an application for the assessment of property tax of his newly constructed house. Sarojini demanded a bribe of ₹8,000 for processing the application and for forwarding the file with her remarks to the Assistant Revenue Officer concerned for further approval. Unwilling to bribe the official, Mr. Arunachalam approached the DVAC, which laid a trap. Sarojini and Saravanan met the complainant at his residence on August 21, 2009. The woman demanded and accepted ₹8,000 from the complainant and handed over the bribe to her husband. The DVAC trap team led by inspector A. Masutha Begum arrested the couple red-handed. Inspector A. Sadashivam (retired as DSP) investigated the case and Special Public Prosecutor S. Sivakumar appeared for the prosecution. The court on Thursday awarded one year each RI to Sarojini for offences committed under Section 7 and 13(2) read with 13(1)(d) of PC Act. Saravanan was awarded eight months and one year RI for offences under Section 12 and 13 (2) read with 13 (1) (d) of PC Act read with 109 of Indian Penal Code. A fine of ₹10,000 each was slapped on them apart from the jail terms, which will run concurrently.
Hindustan Times
25-06-2025
- Hindustan Times
CBI books EPFO accounts officer, wife in corruption case
MUMBAI: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has booked an accounts officer of the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) in a corruption case for allegedly obtaining undue advantage from certain PF claimants to process their claims. The agency also booked the accused officer's wife for allegedly abetting him in his activities related to obtaining of undue advantage from the claimants. (Shutterstock) The accused official, who is posted in Pune, and his wife, were recently booked under provisions of the Prevention of Corruption (PC) Act under sections relevant to the offences of performing public duty improperly or dishonestly in anticipation or in consequence of accepting undue advantage and abetment, respectively, CBI sources said. The accused officer is under the probe's scanner for his service tenure in the period between 2019 and 2025. The probe will also examine if there were others who may have helped the accused, agency sources said. The CBI began its investigation on the basis of information that the accused officer, being a public servant, was directly involved in the processing and handling PF claims submitted by multiple private firms over a period from 2019 to 2025, but was misusing his official position to dishonestly process the claims, the sources said. It was learnt by the CBI that several of these claimants had allegedly deposited funds in the bank account of a consultancy firm maintained with a public-sector bank. The consultancy firm was in the name of the accused officer's wife, the sources said. Verification conducted by the agency showed that the consultancy firm was allegedly also operating from the residence of the accused officer, the sources said. 'The information prima facie revealed that the accused EPFO official, being a public servant, abused his official position to improperly and dishonestly process and handle various EPFO claims submitted by various private entities in anticipation of or in consequence of accepting undue advantage through a third party, the consultancy services ostensibly operated in the name of his wife,' a CBI source said. His wife allegedly abetted him in accepting undue advantage from PF claimants under the garb of providing consultancy services to them, the sources said. The CBI obtained the approval from the Competent Authority under the PC Act to initiate its probe against the accused official.
Indian Express
24-06-2025
- Health
- Indian Express
Centre approves probe against AAP leaders Saurabh Bharadwaj, Satyendar Jain in corruption case
The Union Home Ministry has given nod to the Delhi government's Vigilance Department for an investigation against former ministers and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders Saurabh Bharadwaj and Satyendar Jain over the alleged irregularities in the execution of healthcare infrastructure projects worth over Rs 1,000 crore. The AAP, however, has rejected the claims of corruption, saying that project delays are being 'weaponised' by the ruling party. The inquiry has been cleared under the provisions of the Prevention of Corruption (Poc) Act, 1988. About a month ago, the Vigilance Department had launched an investigation into the matter, and sought the Centre's approval to run a deeper probe. Initially, the ACB, which reports to the Office of the Lieutenant Governor, began a probe after receiving a complaint from BJP leader Vijender Gupta in August 2024. At the time, Gupta, who is now the Delhi Assembly Speaker, was serving as the Leader of the Opposition, while the AAP was in power in the Capital. In his complaint, Gupta had alleged that both former ministers were complicit in financial misconduct within the Health Department. He accused them of enabling rampant corruption through deliberate delays and inflated costs. According to Gupta's complaint, a total of 24 hospital projects sanctioned during the tenure of the AAP government at an estimated cost of Rs 5,590 crore allegedly saw astronomical cost overruns and remained incomplete years after their scheduled deadlines, suggesting large-scale fund diversion. Among the cases cited in his complaint were seven ICU hospitals with a combined bed capacity of 6,800. Sanctioned in September 2021 for Rs 1,125 crore and scheduled for completion within six months, these hospitals were only 50% complete nearly three years later, as per the complaint. As per the allegations, a total of Rs 800 crore was spent, and the cost for constructing LNJP Hospital's new block, initially approved at Rs 465.52 crore, ballooned to Rs. 1,125 crore. A polyclinic expansion project saw only 52 out of 94 planned clinics built, while its sanctioned budget increased from Rs 168.52 crore to Rs. 220 crore. Gupta alleged that both the AAP leaders repeatedly rejected cost-effective alternatives, raising suspicion about 'vested interests'. Following a prima facie review, the ACB concluded that there were patterns of cost inflation, misallocation of funds, rejection of economical solutions, and the creation of idle assets. These, it said, indicate serious lapses and corrupt practices that reportedly have led to substantial losses to the government exchequer. After receiving Gupta's complaint, the ACB had referred the matter to the Delhi government's Vigilance Department under Section 17A of the PoC Act, which had sought comments from the Health and Family Welfare Department and the Public Works Department. While the Health Department did not object to a probe, the PWD recommended a full-fledged vigilance inquiry to identify the scale of the alleged irregularities and fix responsibility. The Vigilance Department, after examining all inputs, has submitted its findings to the Raj Niwas. In its note, it cited delays due to specification changes after project sanction, poor planning, inaccurate cost estimation, and an escalation of costs. It also flagged the possibility of hidden facts and unaccounted evidence, stating that these require a deeper investigation. Responding to the accusation, the AAP said that project delays can't be called corruption. 'The Bullet Train project is delayed by 10 years, will it be investigated as a case of corruption?…53% projects of Central Govt see delay of more than three years and cost escalation, will CBI register corruption cases against Central Ministers?' the party asked in its statement to the press. The BJP and the L-G have turned governance into a 'laughing stock' by 'weaponising' routine project delays as alleged corruption, said the party. Meanwhile, Bharadwaj said that any of the projects mentioned in the complaint were not approved during his tenure. 'The hospital's construction sanctions were given in 2017-18 and 2021. The estimates were also approved at the same time. I became the Health Minister in 2023. After I became the Health Minister, no file related to the cost or revised estimates of the hospital project construction ever came to me nor did I ever give any approval for any cost escalations,' he said.
