FIR registered in Gosikhurd tender scam case after 15 yrs

Chandrapur: Alleged use of forged certificates to qualify for a tender in connection with Gosikhurd irrigation project has led the anti-corruption bureau (ACB) to register a criminal case against seven individuals, including water resources department senior officials, contractors and two companies, nearly 15 years after the incident.The case was registered at Bramhapuri police station on Tuesday evening. The FIR was lodged on the complaint of ACB deputy superintendent of police Anil Jittawar. According to the complaint, serious irregularities were detected in the tendering process undertaken during 2009-10 for earthwork and construction on D-7 distributary of the right main canal under Gosikhurd project, which falls under Vidarbha Irrigation Development Corporation (VIDC).The ACB conducted a detailed inquiry following directions by the Nagpur bench of the Bombay high court. The investigation focused on the award of a contract whose original estimated cost was ₹12.63 crore. After the tender process, the work was awarded to M/s Sumedha Earthmovers Company and M/s Suvarna Enterprises (Joint Venture), Pune. Following negotiations, the contract was approved at 9.75% higher than the estimated cost, taking the final contract value to ₹13.86 crore.The inquiry revealed that all four experience certificates submitted by the contractors to qualify for the tender were forged. Verification conducted with the concerned offices confirmed that no such certificates had ever been issued by them. Investigators concluded that the contractors had secured eligibility for the tender using fabricated documents and thereby cheated the govt.Based on the findings, a case has been registered against former executive engineer Sudhakar Atmaram Ghengare, superintending engineer Sanjay Laxman Kholapurkar, chief engineer Sopan Ramrao Suryawanshi, Devendra Parshuram Shirke, Manojkumar Prannath Ambrol, as well as M/s Sumedha Earthmovers Company and M/s Suvarna Enterprises.The accused have been booked under relevant laws.