E-Paper
Telecom officers in CBI net for faking travel bills
Quoting the wrong number of wheels unmasked the wrongdoing of this set of wheeler dealers.
Quoting the wrong number of wheels unmasked the wrongdoing of this set of wheeler dealers.
Several senior officials with telecom giant Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) officials are in the dock with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for abusing their official position to pass fake travelling bills that ran into lakhs of rupees, in connivance with a travel operator.
As per departmental procedure, BSNL officials regularly use commercial vehicles like non-A.C. Ambassador cars, jeeps, Tata Sumos and Maruti Vans, which are provided by travel operators under an official agreement.
During CBI investigations, it was revealed that the said travel bills 'verified' by the officials were related to vehicles, which were not registered for commercial purpose. What’s more, their registration numbers were later found out to be those of two and three-wheelers.
The amount of the said 'scam' ran into lakhs of rupees.
The intelligence agency filed a chargesheet against the officers at a CBI anti corruption court in Ghaziabad in November 2009. The FIR was registered in July 2008.
The accused officials and travel operator have also failed to appear before the court, which had issued non-bailable warrants against them in December 2009. The accused were absconding, BSNL officials said.
