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UP gives CBI prosecution sanction against ex-executive engineer in Gomti River Front project scam
The state government on Tuesday gave sanction to the CBI to prosecute former executive engineer, Lucknow Division, Sharda Canal, Roop Singh Yadav, and former junior assistant, Irrigation Works, Lucknow, Raj Kumar Yadav, for allegedly resorting to corrupt practices in the execution of Lucknow’s Gomti River Front Development Project
The state government on Tuesday gave sanction to the CBI to prosecute former executive engineer, Lucknow Division, Sharda Canal, Roop Singh Yadav, and former junior assistant, Irrigation Works, Lucknow, Raj Kumar Yadav, for allegedly resorting to corrupt practices in the execution of Lucknow’s Gomti River Front Development Project.
The CBI had on February 17, 2021 filed a chargesheet against five people, including Roop Singh Yadav, Raj Kumar Yadav and two directors of M/s KKSpun Pipe Pvt Ltd-- Himanshu Gupta and Kavish Gupta-- and a senior advisor of M/s Brand Eagles Longjian Badri Shrestha that had joint venture with M/s KK Spun Pipe Pvt Ltd.
The chargesheet was filed at the CBI court in Lucknow in the matter related to anomalies in awarding work of intercepting trunk drain of the project, read a press note from the state home department.
The statement said the state government had given clearance to the CBI request to initiate trial against the two government servants.
A senior home department official said a letter regarding this had been sent to anti-corruption bureau of CBI Lucknow unit.
In the matter, Roop Singh Yadav and Raj Kumar were arrested by the CBI on December 20, 2020. The CBI had registered the case on the request of Uttar Pradesh Government on November 30, 2017.
A CBI official, who is in the know of things but didn’t want to be named, said it was alleged in the FIR that irregularities were committed in implementation of “Gomti River Channelization Project” and “Gomti River Front Development” by irrigation department of the UP government.
The official said it was further alleged that the accused awarded the work to an ineligible private firm and the date of tender was extended twice to accommodate the said firm.
In addition, the forged documents of another bidder/private party were also arranged to complete the quorum of three participants in the tender, he said.
The official said the investigation revealed that the agreement for the work was allegedly executed by the accused without obtaining the approval and allotment of funds.
He said further investigation was on to look into the role of other accused.
The ₹1600 crore project was launched by the previous Samajwadi Party government in 2015.
