The Maharashtra state anti-corruption bureau (ACB) has pointed to the involvement of a senior police officer and raised questions about the role of a high ranking official from the home department in a multi-crore scam involving the procurement of bomb disposal suits.
Preliminary investigations by the ACB revealed that the state government had ordered 82 bomb disposal suits after the November 26, 2008, terror attack in Mumbai. The suits were supposed to be imported from a company in the United States. However, the ACB inquiry found that 36 of the 82 suits were imported from China.
Sources in the ACB said the irregularities run into several crores as the cost of one suit is approximately Rs70 lakh.
In a confidential report to the home department, the ACB has sought permission to register a case of cheating and forgery against a police officer of the rank of deputy inspector general of police and the importer of the suits. Sources said some of the documents submitted by the importer during the tendering process were full of loopholes too.
A senior home department official said the ACB sent the report 10 days ago, but refused to name the senior official. ACB officials, too, refused to divulge the names. “We have submitted the report to the home department and are waiting for their instructions. We will take further action after that. It will be inappropriate to reveal any details now,” said an ACB officer.
The matter came to light after a petition alleging large scale irregularities in procuring the suits was filed with the Bombay high court (HC). The HC then asked the state government to look into the matter. The state government ordered the ACB to conduct an inquiry and file a report. Sources in the ACB said the inquiry went on for over a year.
Comments