A case of corruption in the country’s large government power transmission company, which has been found directly involved in a senior officer and a private company. CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) has arrested Uday Kumar, Senior General Manager of Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (PGCIL), for taking bribe. It is alleged against him that he took a bribe of Rs 2.4 lakh from the private company KEC International, so that the company can be benefited in the contract process.
Rajasthan officer directly accused, arrest from Sikar
Uday Kumar, who was posted in Ajmer, was arrested by CBI late Wednesday night in Sikar. He was accompanied by Suman Singh, an officer of Kec International. According to the CBI, this bribe was directly taken in exchange for processing and approval of bills related to contracts.
CBI spokesperson said clearly,
“This bribe was given to the private company to benefit the processing of bills under the contracts given by PSU (Public Sector Undertaking).”
Many officers of KEC International also accused, five names in FIR
The CBI has also accused five KEC International officials in this case. The major people whose names have been named in the FIR include:
- Jabraj Singh (vice president)
- Atul Aggarwal (Finance Manager)
- Ashutosh Kumar (employee)
- Suman Singh (Women’s Officer)
- Another senior officer
However, no official statement on the matter has been issued by KEC International so far.
CBI action: raids on householders, digital evidence recovered
After the arrest, the CBI conducted a search operation at the site of bribery transaction. In Sikar, Jaipur and Mohali, the houses and offices of the accused were raided, from where several necessary documents and digital devices were seized.
According to the CBI spokesperson,
“The raid has found concrete evidence related to the transaction between the power grid officer and the people of the private company, including documents, email communication and digital data.”
What is Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (PGCIL)?
PGCIL is a major public sector company under the Ministry of Power, Government of India, which works as a transmission of electricity across the country. This is the largest transmission utility of the country and it is responsible for keeping the power supply in the entire country stable and uninterrupted.
What is the matter and why is it serious?
Transparency is very important in the process related to contracts and payments between government and private companies. The allegations made in this case show how a PSE officer and private company people can carry out disturbances.
The bribe amount may be 2.4 lakh rupees, but the questions that have arisen from it are bigger than this – is transparency in government contracts still a dream?
