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According to CBI, Rs 40 lakh out the Rs 50 lakh was to be given to SPS Bakshi, the then CMD, EPIL, and Rs 10 lakh to Harcharan Pal, the then executive director (contracts).The CBI has booked former Union minister Babul Supriyo’s staff in a case of alleged corruption. The agency alleged that Sushanta Mullick, Supriyo’s staff – when he was minister of state for heavy industries and public enterprises, received Rs 5 lakh in his account to favour a private company.
The FIR was registered on May 7 based on a complaint dated March 12, 2021. Supriyo quit the BJP and joined the TMC in September 2021.
The CBI said its preliminary probe has revealed that senior officials of Engineering Projects India Limited (EPIL), which is a public sector undertaking under the Department of Public Enterprises, Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises, demanded a bribe of Rs 50 lakh from one Ashutosh Bandhopadhayay, proprietor of a private company named after him. The alleged bribe was demanded for providing favour for the tenders awarded and being awarded by the EPIL during the period 2016-2017.
According to the CBI, Rs 40 lakh out the Rs 50 lakh was to be given to SPS Bakshi, the then CMD, EPIL, and Rs 10 lakh to Harcharan Pal, the then executive director (contracts), and Paritosh Kumar Praveen, the then manager (Grade Il), EPIL.
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“Verification has revealed that Sh. SPS Bakshi had got conveyed to Sh. Ashutosh Bandhopadhayay through Sh. RS Tyagi, the then DGM (contractual basis) that out of the said bribe amount of Rs 40 Lacs, Rs 5 Lacs be transferred into the bank account of Sh. Sushanta Mallick, staff of the then Minister of State for Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises. Accordingly, Sh. Ashutosh Bandhopadhayay transferred Rs 5 Lacs in the bank account of Sh. Sushanta Mallick in Dec. 2016,” the CBI said in its FIR.
The investigating agency further said, “A criminal conspiracy was hatched amongst Sh. SPS Bakshi, the then CMD, EPIL, Sh. Harcharan Pal, the then Executive Director, EPIL, Paritosh Kumar Praveen, the then Manager (Grade-II), EPIL, Sh. RS Tyagi, DGM (on contract) and Sh. Ashutosh Bandhopadhayay to provide undue favour to M/s Ashutosh Bandhopadhayay in obtaining the tender of EPIL, in lieu of illegal gratification.”
SPS Bakshi, Harcharan Pal, Paritosh Kumar Praveen, RS Tyagi, Sushanta Mallick, M/s Ashutosh Bandhopadhayay and unknown public servants and private persons have been named as accused in the FIR.
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