The Central Bureau of Investigation has booked nine senior officials of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and 13 others, including the then chief financial officer of Isolux Corsan India Engineering and Construction Private Limited (ICIECPL), on graft charge related to three road projects in 2008-10.
Among the officials named are the then project directors, C.K. Sinha, Vibhav Mittal, D.P. Soni, S.K. Gupta and Suraj Prakash, besides then general manager L.P. Padhy and managers Anil Kumar Jain, K.M. Sharma and Neeraj Gaur. The others include the then ICIECPL CFO Guillermo Garcia Moliz and some of his junior colleagues.
The case is the outcome of a preliminary enquiry instituted by the CBI in November 2018 against unknown NHAI officials. The agency found that in 2008-10, the projects involving Surat-Hazira Port section of National Highway-06, Kishangarh-Ajmer-Beawar section of National Highway-08 and Varanasi-Aurangabad section of National Highway-02 were awarded by the NHAI to the consortium of Isolux Corsan India Engineering and Construction Private Limited and Soma Enterprises.
With respect to the first project, the agency found that the then project directors, C.K. Sinha and Vibhav Mittal, had allegedly been receiving about ₹ lakh in cash on a monthly basis in conspiracy with the company's then CFO and his colleagues, to ensure smooth functioning. Karnal Conslructron (Surat) allegedly facilitated the cash delivery by providing false invoices to the accused company.
In the Varanasi-Aurangabad section project, the then project directors S.K. Gupta and Suraj Prakash, then managers (technical) K.M. Sharma and Neeraj Gaur, allegedly received a monthly cash of Rs.1 lakh to Rs.2 lakh for the same purpose. One Mahadeo Construction Company facilitated cash delivery following the same modus operandi, according to the agency.
In the third project, D.P. Soni, Anil Kumar Jain and L.P. Padhy allegedly received a monthly cash of Rs.1 to 2 lakh from the company via New Construction Co. and Goyal Construction Co.
The role of other government officials is also being examined.
