CBI files charge sheet in Gomti riverfront scam

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed a charge sheet against six persons, including the then Executive Engineer of irrigation department Roop Singh Yadav, his Junior Assistant Raj Kumar Yadav, two Directors of a company and a private firm Advisor in connection with the Rs 1,600-crore Gomti riverfront development project scam of Uttar Pradesh.

Lucknow:The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed a charge sheet against six persons, including the then Executive Engineer of irrigation department Roop Singh Yadav, his Junior Assistant Raj Kumar Yadav, two Directors of a company and a private firm Advisor in connection with the Rs 1,600-crore Gomti riverfront development project scam of Uttar Pradesh.

The private firm has also been named in the charge sheet.

The project was launched by the previous Samajwadi Party government, but the CBI took over the investigation following Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's recommendation after he assumed office in March 2017.

The case was then formally handed over to the investigation agency in November 2017.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) also filed a criminal case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in this regard in March 2018.

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The CBI said that the charge sheet was filed on Wednesday before the CBI court in Lucknow under the charges of criminal breach of trust, forgery of valuable security, forgery for purpose of cheating, the demand of illegal gratification, criminal misconduct by public servant and prevention of corruption act.

The charge sheet has been filed against the then Executive Engineer Roop Singh Yadav, Junior Assistant (Irrigation Works) Raj Kumar Yadav, two Directors of a private company -- Himanshu Gupta and Kavish Gupta -- along with senior Advisor of another firm, Badri Shrestha.

The CBI officials said that during the probe, it has surfaced that the accused awarded the work for intercepting trunk drain to an ineligible private firm and the date of the tender was twice extended to accommodate the said firm.

"Forged documents of another bidder and private partner were also arranged by the accused to complete the quorum of three participants in the tender. The agreement for the work was allegedly executed by the accused without obtaining the approval and allotment of funds," the CBI said.

The probe was still pending against others named in the case.

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Investigators said the exact value of the scam and financial irregularity would be ascertained only after getting full details.

The project involved the construction of a rubber dam to maintain the water level in the Gomti river, a stadium, an amphitheatre for 2,000 people, bicycle and jogging tracks, a play area for children and a musical fountain.

The project was partially inaugurated by former chief minister Akhilesh Yadav in November 2016.

IANS