CBI arrests Paradip Port Trust CME, 3 others on graft charges

Bhubaneswar, Aug 5(Reporters Today Bureau): The Central Bureau of Investigation Friday arrested four persons, including the Chief Mechanical Engineer of Paradip Port Trust over bribery charges.

According to a release from CBI, the Chief Mechanical Engineer  and three private persons, including conduit, middleman etc. have been arrested.

The others arrested are Contractor Sumant Rout, Sankha Subhra Mitra, Manager Port Operation KCT Group and Surjya Narayan Sahoo DGM Odisha Stevedores Limited.

A case was registered against Chief Mechanical Engineer Saroj Dash and others including private persons, private company & unknown others, the release said.

It was alleged that the CME was in the habit of demanding & accepting bribes through his close conduit for extending undue benefits to various private stake holders engaged in port service and activities at Paradip Port.

The said conduit of CME was in close contact with Manager Port Operations (also allegedly acted as a middleman with other Cargo companies) of a private group of companies & other persons.

It was further alleged that while unloading cargo, a private company Odisha Stevedores Limited damaged the conveyor belt operational in Paradip Port. The cost of repairing / replacement of the conveyor belt was very high.

The said CME in conspiracy with conduit, middleman & Director of said private company got it repaired at the cost of Port Trust causing huge monetary advantage to said private company. In turn, the conduit allegedly demanded Rs. 60 lakh as bribe for the said favour, allegedly on behalf of CME.

Accordingly, he collected the bribe amount of Rs. 25 lakh from Cuttack and kept Rs. 10 lakh separately for themselves. It was also alleged that the conduit handed over Rs. 10 lakh to a real estate developer in Bhubaneshwar, with whom the Chief Mechanical Engineer had allegedly booked a property.

CBI intercepted the said conduit in Paradip and recovered Rs. 5 lakh of the alleged bribe money from him. Later, Rs. 18.30 lakh also as part of alleged bribe was recovered. During further searches, Rs. 20.25 lakh (approx.), jewellery, documents related to investment and other incriminating documents were recovered from the residence of Chief Mechanical Engineer.

Searches were also conducted at 15 locations including in Paradip, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur & Bhubaneshwar at the premises of accused. Rs. 41 lakh (approx.) was recovered from the premises of Director of said private company.

Notably, the CBI is quizzing the Charchit Mishra, son of leading businessman Mahima Mishra in this connection.