A Delhi court on Wednesday directed the police to file an action-taken report (ATR) on a complaint seeking lodging of a case against Health Minister Satyendar Jain and three Public Works Department (PWD) officials alleging irregularities in award of contracts for road and drain works.
‘Arguments heard’
Metropolitan Magistrate Abhilash Malhotra asked the I.P. Estate police station’s Station House Officer (SHO) to filed the ATR by February 7. The court also recorded the statement of complainant Rahul Sharma.
“Arguments heard. Statement of Mr. Sharma recorded. ATR be called from the SHO concerned. Put up for further proceedings on February 7,” the Magistrate said.
Mr. Sharma of non-government organisation Road Anti-Corruption Organisation has alleged in his complaint that PWD officials had between 2014 and 2017 allocated contracts for pecuniary benefits for themselves and for the contractors.
Executive Engineer Anil Trehan, in criminal conspiracy with Superintendent Engineer Mukesh Kumar, other officials and the contractors, had obtained for themselves huge sums of money, the complaint added.
Thus, they committed offences of fraud, criminal conspiracy, criminal intimidation and criminal breach of trust under IPC and offences covered under the Prevention of Corruption Act, the complainant said, adding that the bid was manipulated to cause substantive gain for Mr. Trehan under the influence of Mr. Jain.
Mr. Sharma has alleged a fraud of over ₹90 crore, including irregularities in 125 matters of construction of roads, drains and other maintenance works. Through a criminal conspiracy, the officials looted the hard-earned money of taxpayers, he charged.
The third officer in the complaint is accountant Eesh Kumar Anand in the Department.
