CBI sources said Achyutananda Shri Chandan and his son Chinmaya Shri Chandan of SS Environics, a consultancy company based in Bhubaneshwar, have claimed during questioning that they were hired by Chariot Steel and Power Company for getting clearance for its Raiboga mining project.
They had allegedly given Rs 7 lakh to Deputy Director Neeraj Kumar Khatri as their "client's money", sources in the agency said.
They said the duo have also claimed that their contact persons in Chariot group were allegedly in the national capital when money was handed over to Khatri as part of the agreed deal.
No response was received on calls made to company's headquarters in Sundargarh, Odisha. The emails seeking a reaction also bounced.
The project was scheduled to be discussed by the Expert Appraisal Group of the ministry for environmental clearance on January 17 between 10.15 AM and 11 AM slot as agenda item number one, they said.
Two more projects based in Odisha and one based in Andhra Pradesh were also lined for environmental clearance on that day, they said.
Based on the inputs given by the father-son duo, the agency has summoned executives of Chariot group to appear for questioning at the agency headquarter's here next week for further examination, they said. (More)