Court refuses to close probe against MCD staffers

Almost two years after CBI sought closure of a corruption probe against five senior MCD officials, a special court has ordered a fresh probe into the case saying there was substantial evidence on record to show large-scale malpractices by the accused.

"Evidence shows abuse of official position by accused who entered into a criminal conspiracy with some unknown contractors which caused heavy loss to MCD," Special Judge Vinod Goel observed while dismissing the agency's report filed on October 30, 2004.

CBI had sought closure on the ground that investigation into the case had revealed that there was "no irregularity or violation of rules in the conduct of the accused".

The accused in the case include MCD's Executive Engineer Prem Chand Meena, his colleagues C L Bhola, R P Wadhwa, S Dabas, Pawan Gupta besides a private company "M/S Essco Traders" and other "unknown persons".

In the FIR filed on February 28, 2002, the CBI had alleged that Meena and his co-accused in the civic body conspired with some unidentified contractors to corner work contracts worth over Rs 1,000,000 during the year 2001.

The agency had claimed that Meena "certified execution of work on bogus bills submitted by contractors and facilitated undue payment to them resulting in loss to the government".

Moreover, allegations against the officials included reassignment of work to private parties without fresh floating of tenders and "substantial" changes in work assigned in violation of MCD regulations.

The accused have been booked under Sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy), 420 (cheating), 468 (forgery for the purpose of cheating), 471 (using as genuine a forged document) of the IPC and various related provisions of the prevention of Corruption Act.