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PF investment scam: EOW conducts searches at residences of accused
lkoreportersdesk@htlive.com
lkoreportersdesk@htlive.com
Even as the CBI probe into the PF investment scam was yet to begin, the UP Police’s Economic Offences Wing (EOW) on Thursday conducted searches at the residences of all three accused – Sudhanshu Dwivedi, AP Mishra and PK Gupta.
The sleuths also interrogated them individually and also in the presence of each other. A cop, privy to the investigation, said former MD, UPPCL, AP Mishra refused to be confronted by the former secretary of UP State Power Sector Employees’ Trust Praveen Kumar Gupta.
During the search at Mishra’s house, cops recovered some documents and a diary. “No asset was recovered from anyone’s house. We have found some documents. It is yet to be ascertained whether these are related to the scam or not,” said a cop, requesting anonymity.
The EOW’s probe suggested that Mishra had signed documents related to the investment of power employees’ provident fund contribution in a Mumbai-based private housing finance company (DHFCL) — the firm in question, said an official.
The police brought director (finance) UPPCL Sudhanshu Dwivedi and PK Gupta face to face and questioned them. The three accused will be in police custody for two more days.
Meanwhile, the local court declined the bail plea of AP Mishra, on the argument of government counsel, that he was the managing director of UP Power Corporation Limited.
The EOW will soon question all the former board members of UPPCL, said a senior police official. Union agriculture secretary Sanjay Aggarwal, was one of the board members.
Meanwhile, power corporation employees staged a protest outside Shakti Bhawan, demanding action against top officials of UPPCL. They also demanded that the government issues a gazette notification, assuring employees on the safety of their PF money.
Employees’ union convener Shailendra Dubey said, “Action should be taken against the UPPCL chairman Alok Kumar.” He claimed that the power minister had also raised question on the role of the chairman.
After a complaint by the employees’ trust, the police on November 2 registered a case against Gupta and Mishra in connection with the investment of the provident fund in a shady firm. Both were arrested the same day.
The FIR was lodged in Hazratganj police station and the duo were booked under Sections 409 (criminal breach of trust by public servant), 420 (cheating), 467 (forgery), 471 (using as genuine a forged document or electronic record).
