CBI books former RVNL chief Satish Agnihotri in corruption case

The CBI has booked former CMD of Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd Satish Agnihotri on the orders of Lokpal for allegedly favouring a private company by illegally diverting Rs 1,100 crore of government money to it.

New Delhi: The CBI has booked former CMD of Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd Satish Agnihotri on the orders of Lokpal for allegedly favouring a private company by illegally diverting Rs 1,100 crore of government money to it, officials said Tuesday. Agnihotri was last year appointed as managing director, National High Speed Railway Corporation Ltd (NHSRCL), which is handling the government's prestigious bullet train project, post his retirement from Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd (RVNL).

He was sacked in July this year after the Lokpal ordered a CBI probe against him, the officials said. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has also booked alleged beneficiary private company Krishnapatnam Rail Co Ltd (KRCL) in the case registered under IPC section 120-B related to alleged criminal conspiracy and provisions of Prevention of Corruption Act, they said.

The central agency has registered the case on the orders of Lokpal. The anti-corruption watchdog, in its order recommending the CBI probe, had said that as per allegations Agnihotri had misused official position and diverted Rs 1,100 crore (which would amount to Rs 1,600 crore with interest), in an unauthorised manner to KRCL out of the funds received from the Ministry of Railways, resulting in a huge loss to the exchequer.

According to the complaint, Navyuga Engg Co Ltd (NECL) owned a private port Krishnapatnam and wanted to connect it with railway network by laying a 110km line. RVNL had joined hands with the NECL in 2005-06 to form a joint venture company KRCL, which had received diverted funds, the complaint had alleged.

It is alleged that after his retirement from RVNL in 2018, Agnihotri was given plum job in NECL, along with perks including luxury cars and a farm house in Mehrauli, among other benefits. The Lokpal flagged the allegations that Agnihotri, who served for nine years in RVNL, used his contacts in the PSU to get many big contracts from RVNL to NECL in violation of the CVC guidelines.

The complaint had also alleged that Agnihotri was "handpicked" for MD, RVNL, by the then Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee by "jumping" several senior officers just before West Bengal elections in 2011.The Lokpal has also underlined huge benefits received by Agnihotri under Performance Related Pay Policy which was unmatched to his peers in other PSUs.

The watchdog, on the point of quid pro quo, said Agnihotri got employed in NECL soon after his retirement at exorbitant salary in violation of government rules. It is also alleged that Agnihotri received "huge amounts in white" in lieu of kickbacks when his son was employed in AECOM and his daughter in KPMG, while both these companies acted as consultants to RVNL.

"Not only that, the private company viz NECL also employed the daughter of RPS-1 (Agnihotri) for the favour done by him and through this appointment, he managed to avail the facilities of accommodation and other benefits from NECL, even after leaving the NECL and joining another government company as MD," the Lokpal noted.

Agnihotri in his detailed submissions to the Lokpal had denied allegations against him and said that the complainant has started making these allegations against him after his appointment as MD of NHSRCL. The former officer alleged that the complainant is threatening him and his family members through WhatsApp chats, etc.

"The Division Bench...directs that the allegations made in the complaint, in respect of RPS-1 be investigated so as to ascertain whether any offence under the Prevention of Corruption Act is made out," the watchdog said in its order directing the CBI to conduct the probe and submit the report on or before December 12, 2022. (PTI)