CBI Arrests Power Grid Exec Director, Tata Projects Executive VP Among 6, In Bribery Case

The CBI has arrested Executive Director of Power Grid Corporation of India B S Jha and five officials of Tata Projects, including its Executive VP Desh Raj Pathak and Assistant VP R N Singh, in connection with alleged bribery to favour the private company, officials said on Thursday. The probe agency arrested the accused after conducting searches at 11 locations on Wednesday which continued till Thursday, and recovered Rs 93 lakh from the premises of Jha in Gurugram, they said.

Jha, who was posted in Itanagar, was under the surveillance of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) during which the agency got an input that he was allegedly receiving bribes from the executives of Tata Projects and other companies for granting favours, they said. Tata Projects was given the contracts under World Bank-funded North Eastern Region Power System Improvement Project, a comprehensive scheme for improving power infrastructure of the region, they said.

The company was working on the Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh region under the scheme, they said. "We adhere to strong norms in all our business transactions and have zero tolerance to any compromise on the same. We would extend our complete support to the relevant authorities," a spokesperson of Tata Projects said. The role of Desh Raj Pathak, Executive Vice President and SBU Head (Transmission & Distribution) India , SAARC and SEA at Tata Projects Limited; and R N Singh, AVP Business Head--Distribution came to the fore while the CBI was keeping an eye on Jha's activities.

The CBI has alleged that Jha was acting in pursuance of a criminal conspiracy extending favours to Tata Projects for various work, including preparation of inflated bills, early clearing of bills and price variation clause, in return of illegal gratification from the company, they said. All the six arrested accused will be produced before Panchkula court on Thursday, they added.

(PTI)