CBI raids 6 IRE officials

KOCHI: CBI has conducted raids in the offices and residential premises of six senior executives, including two General Managers, of Indian Rare Earths Ltd (IRE) near Eloor and seized several documents, its sources said on Wednesday.
    
The raids were conducted on Tuesday after finding irregularities in the purchase of 'ANF filters' used in the process of uranium extraction.
    
IRE, functioning under the Department of Atomic Energy, is involved in mining and separation of heavy minerals.
    
The filters, purchased from Mecon Engineering of Bangalore during 2005-06 for Rs 50 lakh, were found to be of 'substandard quality'. Payments for the filters were released without checking their working condition, the sources said.
    
The raids were conducted in the offices and houses of two General Managers -- Madhavankutty and K R Venugopal; three Deputy General Managers-- Francy Varghese, M G Rajan and N R Suryanarayanan and an Audit Manager Rukmini Menon after cases were registered against them under the Prevention of Corruption Act and for criminal conspiracy and criminal misconduct.
    
A simultaneous raid was conducted at the office of Mecon Engineering in Bangalore.
    
The sources said several documents have been seized during the raids, conducted by a team of CBI officers led by Superintendent of Police T Vikram, and they were being scrutinised.