The government has issued a notification transferring cases related to contract for running the State Data Centre that were under investigation by the State Vigilance and Anti-corruption Bureau to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The cases relate to award of the contract for technical management of the Data Centre to Reliance Communications Ltd.; allegation about illegal amassment of wealth by lobbyist T.G. Nandakumar, who is said to have acted as a middleman in fixing the contract; and alleged irregularities in the tender procedure adopted for award of the contract.
The notification is issued under Section 6 of the Delhi Special Police (Central Act of 1946) Act.
The award of the contract to Reliance by the LDF government in 2008 had come under criticism over procedural irregularities.
It was alleged that external interests influenced the then Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan in awarding the contract for the Data Centre management to private business interests.