A private firm allegedly took ₹2.69 crore for installing closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras at 40 junctions for crime prevention and traffic management in Chennai in 2011 and failed to install even a single device.
The funds that were meant to be released in a phased manner based on the progress of work were disbursed to the tune of ₹2.69 crore, which was 90% of the total budget allocated by the State government.
The Central Crime Branch (CCB) of the Chennai police has registered a case against Lookman Electroplast Industries Ltd. under Section 406 (Criminal breach of trust) and 420 (Cheating) based on a complaint lodged by the Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police, Traffic.
The FIR said the company was awarded the contract on January 29, 2010, and was asked to commence work by January 25, 2011. Going by the time-bound agreement, the CCTV project had to be completed in 12 weeks, along with maintenance contact for three years.
The company did not comply with the basic requirement and no camera was made functional. It was seen from the records that despite the passage of nine years of signing the agreement and release of ₹2.69 crore, the company had not executed the project.
“It is also borne by records that the company has been raising frivolous queries with intent to delay the execution of the project despite having received the tender amount,” the FIR said.
‘Conduct proves intent’
“In fact, the company has never protested on the costing of the materials or any other reason...the conduct clearly proves their intent,” the FIR added. Though the company has no intention to execute the project, it attributed the non-performance to damages caused by the floods in 2015 and Vardha cyclone in 2016.
Even after the company was given adequate time and chance to implement the project, it failed to do so. “It is thus clear that the company intended to cheat the public exchequer right from the time of entering into an agreement with the Greater Chennai City Police and never intended to fully complete the project,” the FIR said.