New Delhi, The CBI has charged Nagpur Rakesh Kumar, former director of CSIR-NEERI, and four scientists of the institute, in three FIRs for alleged corruption and favors given to private companies in awarding various projects, including the giant air purifiers WAYU. officials said Wednesday.
The CBI on Wednesday carried out searches at 17 locations in Maharashtra, Haryana, Bihar and Delhi, resulting in the seizure of "incriminating" documents, documents related to property and jewellery, they said.
They said the agency's action followed allegations of criminal conspiracy and corruption in a complaint received from the CSIR's Director of Vigilance against scientists of the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) - former director Rakesh Kumar, chief scientists Atya Kapley and Sanjeev Kumar Goyal, Principal Scientist. Ritesh Vijay and senior scientist Sunil Gulia, published in Delhi Zonal Centre.One of the three FIRs in which the agency has booked Gulia and Goyal, along with SS Environment Consultants Private Limited (EECPL) and Alaknanda Technologies Private Limited ( ATPL), refers to alleged corruption in the installation of WAYU-II devices to address air pollution.
The WAYU giant air purifiers developed by NEERI are installed in heavy traffic areas to trap suspended polluting particles.
"It has been alleged that both public servants (Goyal and Gulia) in criminal conspiracy with accused private companies abused their official position to obtain undue advantages from these private companies and committed serious irregularities in procurement, manufacturing, supply, installation and commissioning of WAYU. -II," the CBI spokesperson said. The device, a patented product of the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI), was exclusively licensed to the accused private firm ESS Environment Consultants Private Limited (EECPL), and was made efforts to procure WAYU-II devices from the said firm on a single bid basis at a time, the CBI has alleged.
"Further, the script was allegedly raised on the basis of a one-time tender by inserting a restrictive clause for the exclusive licensee of NEERI's own technology without verifying the validity of the license agreement signed with the accused company," he alleged.
Five WAYU-II devices were also allegedly procured from Navi-Mumbai-based Alaknanada Technologies, raising questions about how it could manufacture the device, which had been exclusively licensed to another accused company, the agency alleged. "Even though "NEERI is the owner/patent holder, procuring products of its own technology in a single tender was allegedly violative of GFR norms," CBI said in a statement.
In the second case, the CBI has booked former director NEERI Kumar and Kapley and three private companies - Alaknanda Technologies Pvt Ltd, Enviro Policy Research India Pvt Ltd and Emergy Enviro Pvt Ltd.
The CBI has alleged that the scientists had entered into a criminal conspiracy with companies, allowing cartelisation, collusive bidding, splitting of tenders and work, and not obtaining financial consent from the competent authority in exchange for undue advantage.The FIR alleged that the three accused private companies had participated in tenders issued by CSIR-NEERI in which Navi Mumbai-based Alaknanda Technologies Pvt Ltd got the job in most cases, they said.
"It has been further alleged that one of the directors of the accused private company based in Navi Mumbai is the wife of a contractual staff who has been a long-time associate of the said director, CSIR-NEERI, Nagpur," the spokesperson said.
Officials said Kumar is also listed in the second FIR as an accused along with senior scientist Ritesh Vijay and the Prabhadevi-based Waste to Energy Research and Technology Council of India (WTERT-India). The CBI has alleged that The scientists entered into a criminal conspiracy with the company and abused their official positions to obtain improper advantages during 2018-19.
“It has also been alleged that during the year 2018-19, a joint proposal of CSIR-NEERI and the accused private company (WTERT-India) was submitted to Thane Municipal Corporation for providing advisory services for closure of landfill at Diva -Khardi. at a cost of Rs 19.75 lakhs was approved by the said director (Kumar) along with the accused senior scientist (Vijay),” the CBI spokesperson said.
It is alleged that WTERT-India was selected "arbitrarily through nomination", without consulting the financial advisor, CSIR."It has been further alleged that before taking over as director of CSIR-NEERI, the accused (Kumar) was associated with the company private accused during the year 2015-16 and was a member of its organizing committee and administrator," he said. .
The CBI on Wednesday carried out searches at 17 locations in Maharashtra, Haryana, Bihar and Delhi, resulting in the seizure of "incriminating" documents, documents related to property and jewellery, they said.
They said the agency's action followed allegations of criminal conspiracy and corruption in a complaint received from the CSIR's Director of Vigilance against scientists of the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) - former director Rakesh Kumar, chief scientists Atya Kapley and Sanjeev Kumar Goyal, Principal Scientist. Ritesh Vijay and senior scientist Sunil Gulia, published in Delhi Zonal Centre.One of the three FIRs in which the agency has booked Gulia and Goyal, along with SS Environment Consultants Private Limited (EECPL) and Alaknanda Technologies Private Limited ( ATPL), refers to alleged corruption in the installation of WAYU-II devices to address air pollution.
The WAYU giant air purifiers developed by NEERI are installed in heavy traffic areas to trap suspended polluting particles.
"It has been alleged that both public servants (Goyal and Gulia) in criminal conspiracy with accused private companies abused their official position to obtain undue advantages from these private companies and committed serious irregularities in procurement, manufacturing, supply, installation and commissioning of WAYU. -II," the CBI spokesperson said. The device, a patented product of the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI), was exclusively licensed to the accused private firm ESS Environment Consultants Private Limited (EECPL), and was made efforts to procure WAYU-II devices from the said firm on a single bid basis at a time, the CBI has alleged.
"Further, the script was allegedly raised on the basis of a one-time tender by inserting a restrictive clause for the exclusive licensee of NEERI's own technology without verifying the validity of the license agreement signed with the accused company," he alleged.
Five WAYU-II devices were also allegedly procured from Navi-Mumbai-based Alaknanada Technologies, raising questions about how it could manufacture the device, which had been exclusively licensed to another accused company, the agency alleged. "Even though "NEERI is the owner/patent holder, procuring products of its own technology in a single tender was allegedly violative of GFR norms," CBI said in a statement.
In the second case, the CBI has booked former director NEERI Kumar and Kapley and three private companies - Alaknanda Technologies Pvt Ltd, Enviro Policy Research India Pvt Ltd and Emergy Enviro Pvt Ltd.
The CBI has alleged that the scientists had entered into a criminal conspiracy with companies, allowing cartelisation, collusive bidding, splitting of tenders and work, and not obtaining financial consent from the competent authority in exchange for undue advantage.The FIR alleged that the three accused private companies had participated in tenders issued by CSIR-NEERI in which Navi Mumbai-based Alaknanda Technologies Pvt Ltd got the job in most cases, they said.
"It has been further alleged that one of the directors of the accused private company based in Navi Mumbai is the wife of a contractual staff who has been a long-time associate of the said director, CSIR-NEERI, Nagpur," the spokesperson said.
Officials said Kumar is also listed in the second FIR as an accused along with senior scientist Ritesh Vijay and the Prabhadevi-based Waste to Energy Research and Technology Council of India (WTERT-India). The CBI has alleged that The scientists entered into a criminal conspiracy with the company and abused their official positions to obtain improper advantages during 2018-19.
“It has also been alleged that during the year 2018-19, a joint proposal of CSIR-NEERI and the accused private company (WTERT-India) was submitted to Thane Municipal Corporation for providing advisory services for closure of landfill at Diva -Khardi. at a cost of Rs 19.75 lakhs was approved by the said director (Kumar) along with the accused senior scientist (Vijay),” the CBI spokesperson said.
It is alleged that WTERT-India was selected "arbitrarily through nomination", without consulting the financial advisor, CSIR."It has been further alleged that before taking over as director of CSIR-NEERI, the accused (Kumar) was associated with the company private accused during the year 2015-16 and was a member of its organizing committee and administrator," he said. .
