Chhattisgarh High Court orders CBI probe into rehabilitation scam

The court in its order said that CBI shall register an FIR within a week and the agency shall also seize the relevant original records from the concerned department, organisation and offices throughout the state within 15 days from the date of registration of FIR.

Updated on: Jan 31, 2020, 11:58:28 IST

Hindustan Times, Raipur | By Ritesh Mishra

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Chhattisgarh High Court on Thursday ordered an investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the alleged misappropriation and siphoning of more than ₹1000 crore in the state government’s State Resource Centre (SRC) and the Physical Referral Rehabilitation Centre (PRRC) for nearly 10 years.

The court has also ordered that the central probe agency shall make all possible attempts to complete fair and independent investigation in the case. (PTI)

The high court’s order came on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Kundan Singh Thakur in 2018. Thakur was employed at a government self-help centre on a contractual basis when he found that he was also shown to be employed at PRRC under the social welfare department.

The court in its order, which is with HT, said CBI shall register a first information report (FIR) within a week and the agency shall also seize the relevant original records from the concerned department, organisation and offices throughout the state within 15 days from the date of registration of FIR.

In the order, 31 people were made respondents including two former chief secretaries of the state.

The court has also ordered that the central probe agency shall make all possible attempts to complete fair and independent investigation in the case.

Singh said in his PIL that a society named the State Resource Centre (SRC) was formed which managed a bank account at State Bank of India, New Raipur, and three accounts at SBI, Moti Bagh in Raipur for PRRC.

“The petitioner and like persons at different PRRC throughout the state are shown as the government employees and whopping amount towards their salary withdrawn for purported payment of salary,” the PIL stated.

“But neither the petitioner nor any other like persons throughout the state were ever paid a salary for working with PRRC. The entire set up of the SRC and PRRC is running only on papers,” it said.

The petitioner said there was no recruitment process through advertisement or otherwise nor any hospital for disabled was established nor any employees were ever appointed, but they were shown to be employed and working with the SRC/PRRC only for showing that they were paid salaries.

“Despite the bank accounts of the employees throughout the state having been linked through their respective Aadhaar cards such fake employees are shown to be paid in cash, only on papers in a planned and organised manner just to siphon hundreds of crores of rupees,” he said.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ritesh Mishra
Ritesh Mishra is the State Correspondent for Chhattisgarh with Hindustan Times. He reports on Maoism, internal security, politics, mining, governance, and major developments shaping the state. Based in Raipur, he has covered Chhattisgarh since 2016, reporting extensively from the Bastar region and other conflict-affected areas. With nearly two decades of experience in journalism, Ritesh has built a reputation for ground reporting from some of India's most challenging terrains. His coverage spans Left-Wing Extremism, counter-insurgency operations, elections, tribal affairs, environmental issues, infrastructure, mining, and socio-economic developments. He has reported on major security operations, policy initiatives, wildlife crime, and the changing dynamics of conflict and development in Central India. Before moving to Chhattisgarh, Ritesh spent eight years reporting from Madhya Pradesh, covering politics, administration, crime, development, and social issues. Throughout his career, he has reported on various forms of extremism in Central India, combining field reporting with in-depth analysis to produce accurate, balanced, and impactful journalism. Prior to joining Hindustan Times, Ritesh worked with The Pioneer and The Free Press Journal, where he covered a wide range of beats and honed his skills in political, investigative, and field reporting. His reporting is marked by exclusive stories, extensive fieldwork, and a commitment to factual, on-the-ground journalism that brings complex issues to a wider audience.Read More

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