CBI begins probe into Louis Berger scam

GUWAHATI: CBI today began investigations into the Louis Berger water consultancy scam in Assam after the Gauhati High Court's direction to transfer the case to the investigating agency.

Executives of the New Jersey-based consultancy firm had allegedly bribed unnamed officials to secure water consultancy projects in Assam.

The investigating agency officials, led by CBI superintendent of police Rajiv Ranjan, issued summons to the petitioners Bhaben Handique, Abdul Wahid and Jayanta Gogoi and they submitted the documents in their possession to the investigating team, an official said.

The three had sought CBI probe in the High Court.

The case had come to light in 2015 after Handique filed a case with the police in Guwahati alleging that the US firm had paid Rs six crore to Assam officials and politicians to secure the Rs 1,452 crore contract for a water supply project in Guwahati.

The case was handed over to CID by the then Congress government but Handique approached the high court and sought a CBI probe alleging that the state agency was going slow and trying to shield some influential persons connected with the case.

The Gauhati High Court had passed an order last month directing that the case be handed over the CBI as the CID has not investigated the case in "right earnest and has been conducting the same in a partisan manner".

Following the court directive, Louis Berger issued an statement claiming that the company "self-reported Assam issues under a comprehensive company-led anticorruption campaign and will continue to cooperate with Indian officials, just as we did in the United States."