CBI arrests chief mechanical engineer of Paradip Port Trust in bribery case

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested the chief mechanical engineer of Paradip Port Trust in Odisha and three other persons including the middleman in a bribery case.

The accused were identified as Saroj Kumar Das, chief mechanical engineer, Sumanta Raut alias Bana, Sankh Subhra Mitra, manager, port operations of KCT Group, Surya Narayan Sahoo, DGM, Orrisa Stevedores Limited.

The CBI official said that a case was registered against Das and others over allegations of bribery.

Das was allegedly demanding and accepting bribes through Bana for extending undue benefits to various private stakeholders engaged in port service and activities at Paradip Port.

Bana was in close contact with Mitra and other persons.

While unloading cargo, Orrisa Stevedores Limited damaged the conveyor belt at Paradip Port. The cost of replacement of the conveyor belt was very high.

Das allegedly in connivance with Bana, Mitra and Sahoo got the belt repaired at the cost of the Port Trust, giving huge monetary benefit to the private company.

Bana allegedly demanded Rs 60 lakh as a bribe, allegedly on behalf of Das.

Bana collected Rs 25 lakh from Cuttack and kept Rs 10 lakh separately for themselves.

Bana handed over Rs 10 lakh to a real estate developer in Bhubaneswar, through whom Das had allegedly booked a property.

The CBI intercepted Bana in Paradip and recovered Rs 5 lakh of the alleged bribe money from him. Later, Rs 18.30 lakh also as part of the alleged bribe was recovered.

During further searches, Rs 20.25 lakh, jewellery, documents related to investment and other incriminating papers were recovered from the residence of Das.

Searches were also conducted at 15 locations including in Paradip, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur and Bhubaneswar at the premises of the accused. Rs. 41 lakh was recovered from the premises of Sahoo.

The arrested persons will be produced in court later on Friday.

--IANS

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