New Delhi [India], September 3 (ANI): The Rouse Avenue court docket on Thursday prolonged the judicial custody of 5 accused until September 17.
Accused Satyender Jain, former DJB CEO Udit Prakash Rai, Nagendra Yadav, Ankit Shrivastava, Pankaj Verma and Raj Kumar Kurra are in judicial custody after their arrest by the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) within the DJB STP Tender rip-off case.
Former Delhi Minister Satyender Jain was produced bodily earlier than the court docket. The court docket will pronounce an order on his bail utility at 2 PM. Other accused had been produced by means of video conferencing. Their bail purposes might be heard on September 5.
Special Judge Dig Vinay Singh prolonged the judicial custody of the accused individuals until September 17. The court docket directed the Jail Authorities to provide the accused individuals by means of video conferencing on September 5 to attend the bail listening to.
It is alleged that the investigation has disclosed that the technical proposal for augmentation of Rohini STP from 15 MGD to 25 MGD was altered by the then Minister, who accredited enhancement to 30 MGD with none technical suggestion or feasibility examine.
Similarly, Rohini and Narela STPs had been included within the undertaking whereas Okhla Phase-V STP was excluded, leading to an estimated escalation of roughly Rs.123 crore. These arbitrary choices of Minister (Jain) had been allegedly taken with out enough technical justification.
Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) sought extension of Judicial custody of Satyendar Kumar Jain, former Minister of Water, GNCTD, Udit Prakash Rai (IAS), former CEO, Delhi Jal Board, Nagendra Yadav, Proprietor M/s AN Enterprises, Raja Kumar Kurra, Owner M/s Euroteck Environment Pvt. Ltd, Pankaj Verma, Proprietor M/s Srijanhar and Ankit Shrivastava.
Public Prosecutor Manish Rawat appeared for the ACB and sought judicial custody of 5 accused and police custody of Ankit Sharma.
It is alleged that the investigation has established that one Nagendra Yadav acted as an middleman between officers of DJB and representatives of Euroteck. Sh. KVNS Rao (Euroteck) handed the letter to Nagendra Yadav, who subsequently delivered it to the workplace of Satyendar Jain.
It is additional alleged that thereafter, Satyendar Kumar Jain directed Ankit Srivastava (a contractual advisor in DJB) to coordinate with KVNS Rao concerning a gathering after sharing the visiting card of KVNS Rao. The screenshot of the chat between Okay.V.N.S. Rao and Ankit Shrivastav was recovered from the cell phone of Sh. Okay.V.N.S. Rao.
Investigation has additionally revealed dilution of environmental norms prescribed by the CPCB. CPCB had prescribed eight obligatory parameters for handled effluent high quality. However, solely 5 parameters had been included into the tender paperwork whereas vital obligatory parameters resembling pH, Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) and Total Nitrogen (N-Total) had been omitted, thereby diluting environmental safeguards in an effort to give undue benefit to the above expertise supplier, the ACB alleged.
It was submitted on behalf of Satyender Jain that the tenders had been floated in October 2022 and Jain was below custody in one other case. It is alleged with none proof that Jain was concerned within the tender course of. No case of arrest is made out in opposition to Jain, and he needs to be launched from custody.
Based on the quantity recovered from different accused, ACB can’t arrest Jain, Senior Advocate N Hariharan had submitted.
It was additionally submitted that Jain has not are available the best way of the investigation; all of the proof has been collected, and his presence is earlier than the investigating officer. What are you going to get well from him? Judicial custody isn’t required because the arrest is against the law.
Advocate Rajat Bhardwaj appeared for Ankit Shrivastava by means of video conferencing.
Satyendra Jain had additionally addressed the court docket. He stated that the federal government had determined to scrub the River Yamuna. The value of the prevailing STP is half than the brand new one. Then, the augmentation of current STPs. It was determined to extend the capability of the prevailing STPs. I used to be minister for 8 Ministeries. ‘I used to be sure to just accept the technical recommendation.’
He additional stated that when tenders had been floated, the tender quantity was round Rs.1546 crore.
Opposing the competition of ACB, Jain had stated that the Minister isn’t linked with the corrigendum, ‘I used to be eliminated on May 30. I had no portfolio. Work was awarded 6 months after my exit.’
Jain had stated that the Rs. 1546 crore was termed as extremely inflated. But Rs 1938 crore was okay; he added that if the value was inflated, then the tender could possibly be reissued.
It is a basic case the place Jain was roped in. ‘If the tender was okay at Rs. 1938 crore. Then it was okay for Rs. 1546 crore,’ former Minister Jain Said.
While searching for the judicial custody of accused individuals, the ACB submitted that there are Irregularities within the tender of STP. It was on August 29, 2021. Ankit Shrivastava despatched a message to the workers of an organization.
It was additionally argued by the ACB that the price of the undertaking was escalated in crores. There had been two 2 conferences held on December 22 and 23, 2022. A deal for a 2 per cent fee was struck.
‘There had been three firms; throughout the investigation, it was revealed that Hitachi and Avigo did not make the specified gear. Only Eurotech (Accused) was manufacturing the gear’, the company had stated.
The ACB stated that Ankit Shrivastava despatched the corrigendum to the proprietor of the corporate. He has no enterprise with the STP, however he joined the assembly; he suggested that he share the corrigendum.
It was additionally submitted that the Sludge remedy was separated from the STP to ask a separate tender. Corrigenda had been uploaded on the web site of DJB, not printed within the newspaper.
It was additionally submitted that Rs. 2.7 crore got here in Srijanhar from Eurotech with none work. Out of this quantity, Rs. 1.22 crore went to a different firm. (ANI)