NEW DELHI: The Central Bureau of Investigation has registered a case against NTPC Director (Finance) Kulamani Biswal for allegedly demanding ₹5 lakh in cash from a private company director for a foreign trip with his wife and daughter. The company is part of a consortium that has been awarded a project by the NTPC.
Those named in the FIR are Mr. Biswal, BGR Mining & Infra Pvt. Ltd. director Rohit Reddy Bathina and his associate Prabhat Kumar. “We have arrested Prabhat and conducted searches on the premises of the other two accused persons,” said a CBI official.
“Kulamani Biswal is presently posted as Director (Finance), NTPC Limited, and is on the board of directors. BGR Mining & Infra is part of a consortium with NCC Limited and it has recently been awarded a project related to the mine development and operation of Talaipalli Coal Block,” said the official.
“Sources informed the agency that Mr. Biswal was going abroad with his wife and daughter from Bhubaneswar on Friday. On Thursday, Prabhat Kumar met him and also contacted Mr. Bathina. The NTPC official first asked Mr. Bathina to arrange ₹5 lakh in dollars for his trip abroad,” the official said.
The FIR alleges that Mr. Bathina initially offered to deliver the money in Delhi or Bhubaneswar, but then Mr. Biswal asked him to send the cash in Indian currency to Delhi, stating that he would himself get it converted to dollars. Prabhat was instructed to hand over the amount to Mr. Biswal on Friday.
The money was allegedly transferred through the “hawala” channel to Prabhat, who was to deliver it to Mr. Biswal at his residence in the Asian Games Village Complex.
