New Delhi, 11 April (H.S.):
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has registered a case against several individuals in connection with alleged money laundering and bribery linked to contracts worth around ₹60.30 crore awarded by the National Projects Construction Corporation Limited (NPCC); the investigation in the matter is still ongoing.
In a statement on Saturday, the ED said the ED’s Guwahati zonal office has filed a prosecution complaint before a special PMLA court in Assam against multiple persons and entities, including former NPCC officials and contractors. The central investigative agency stated that this case pertains to alleged bribery in infrastructure‑related contracts along the India‑Bangladesh border and the subsequent money‑laundering arising from it.
The ED added that the case stems from a First Information Report (FIR) filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which alleges that bribes were illegally demanded and received in connection with the award and processing of contracts worth approximately ₹60.30 crore for Border Out‑Post infrastructure.
The agency further said that the ED’s Guwahati zonal office has filed a prosecution complaint under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002, before the Special Court (PMLA) in Guwahati against Rakesh Mohan Kotwal, retired Zonal Manager, NPCIL, Sylhet; Latiful Pasha, Officer in Charge of NPCC’s Jalpaiguri Project Office; Anish Baid and Binod Singh, directors of Shri Gautam Construction Company Limited; other associated persons; and the company itself.
The investigative agency explained that the case relates to a bribery‑linked matter involving contracts of about ₹60.30 crore given by NPCC Limited (on behalf of the BSF) to Shri Gautam Construction Company Limited for the construction of nine border outposts (Group C and D) along the India‑Bangladesh border.
Initial ED probe has revealed that bribes were allegedly demanded for the clearance of pending bills and that the money was sent via hawala channels. Subsequently, during raids, some amount of cash was recovered. The ED said that the proceeds of crime were allegedly distributed among the accused and that further investigation into the entire network is still underway.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
