A Delhi court on Monday granted bail to an alleged middleman in a corruption case connected with the ₹2,150 crore redevelopment project of the ITPO complex at Pragati Maidan.
National Building Construction Corporation (NBCC) Chairman-cum-Managing Director Anoop Kumar Mittal is also an accused in the case. Special judge Arvind Kumar granted bail to accused Rishabh Agrawal on furnishing a personal bond of ₹1 lakh with one surety of a like amount.
The CBI had opposed his bail plea, submitting that the accused might hamper investigation and it was apprehended that he would flee from justice. But the court rejected the plea.
The probe agency had last month registered a case in the matter against Mr. Mittal and others, including government servant Pradeep Kumar Mishra and Akashdeep Chauhan, an employee of Mumbai-based private company Capacite Structures Limited, which was lobbying to get contract for a part of the project.
The agency alleged that Mr. Mishra had demanded a bike to get the contract allocated, and the CBI had arrested him while allegedly receiving the bike as a bribe from Mr. Chauhan.
As per the CBI’s case, NBCC (India) Limited had awarded a work contract to a joint venture of Shapoorji Pallonji and Company Pvt. Ltd. and Shapoorji Pallonji Qatar WLL for ₹2,149.93 crore. Capacite Structures was allegedly trying to get a sub-contract.
Capacite Structures managing director Sanjay Kulkarni approached Mr. Agrawal and he allegedly roped in Mr. Mishra, who had close links with certain senior functionaries of the NBCC, the CBI alleged.
Under Mr. Mishra’s influence, Mr. Mittal allegedly directed the Executive Director of NBCC to settle the matter in favour of Capacite Structures, the CBI First Information Report said.
As part of the alleged conspiracy, Mr. Kulkarni met representatives from Shapoorji Pallonji and senior NBCC officials.
After the meeting, Mr. Mittal allegedly assured Mr. Kulkarni and Mr. Mishra that work would be done, and that if Capacite Structures did not get the work, he would ensure that it was not given to anyone else, the agency charged.
