Megha Engg, 2nd biggest poll bond buyer, booked

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 13

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered an FIR against Hyderabad-based Megha Engineering and Infrastructure Ltd (MEIL), in an alleged bribery case. The company was the second-biggest buyer of electoral bonds worth Rs 966 crore.

Eight officials of the NISP and NMDC and two officials of MECON were also named in the FIR for receiving alleged bribes of around Rs 78 lakh in clearing Rs 174 crore bills of Megha Engineering in connection with works related to the Jagdalpur Integrated Steel Plant, a news agency reported. Megha Engineering had donated the highest amount of about Rs 586 crore to the BJP, according to the EC data released on March 21.

The company had also donated Rs 195 crore to the BRS, Rs 85 crore to the DMK, and Rs 37 crore to the YSRCP. The TDP got about Rs 25 crore from the company, while the Congress got Rs 17 crore. The JD-S, Jana Sena Party and JD-U got smaller sums ranging from Rs 5 crore to Rs 10 crore.

According to the FIR made public on Saturday, the CBI had registered a preliminary enquiry (PE) on August 10, 2023, about the alleged bribery in Rs 315 crore project related to works of intake well and pump house and cross-country pipeline at the Jagdalpur steel plant, which was awarded to the company.

Based on the findings of the PE, a recommendation was made on March 18 to register a regular case into the alleged bribery which was filed on March 31.

The CBI has named eight officials of the NISP and NMDC — retired executive director Prashant Dash, director (production) DK Mohanty, DGM PK Bhuyan, DM Naresh Babu, senior manager Subro Banerjee, retired CGM (finance) L Krishna Mohan, GM (finance) K Rajshekhar, manager (finance) Somnath Ghosh, who allegedly received Rs 73.85 lakh bribe.

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