Quid-Pro-Quo : You Minimise Penalty, We Pay You Hefty Gratification
M/s DN Marketing (Mumbai) and M/s HRK Solutions (Pune), are executing a project in Waltair Division, involving heavy repairs, renovation and refurbishment of wagons on behalf of M/s Hindustan Fibre Glass Works Pvt. Ltd.
Sanil Rathod and Anand Bhagat were liaising with public servants of the Waltair Division including DRM Saurabh Prasad to expedite clearance of bills in lieu of illegal gratifications
A bill of M/s Hindustan Fibre Glass Works Pvt. Ltd. to Rs. 3.17 crores was pending with the Sr.DME because of considerable delay in execution of the works, hefty penalty was imposed on the contractor
Shankar Patel, Director, M/s Hindustan Fibre Glass Works Pvt. Ltd. repeatedly urged Sanil Rathod, proprietor, M/s DN Marketing, and Anand Bhagat, Director, M/s HRK Solutions to get the bill cleared as soon as possible
Anand Bhagat and Sanil Rathore decided that it is absolutely necessary for them to meet the DRM of Vizag for reduction of the proposed penalty in lieu of gratification of Rs. 25 lakh
Anand Bhagat met DRM Saurabh Prasad in person at his office with a request to get the penalty lowered and get the pending bill cleared, and assured him that he would pay him gratification in lieu of the said favour
DRM Saurabh Prasad contacted the Sr.DME in presence of Anand Bhagat and impressed upon him that the bill has to be cleared on priority
After intervention of DRM, the pending bill of M/s Hindustan Fibre Glass Works Pvt. Ltd. was finally cleared, and the final penalty levied was much lower than what was initially assessed
The accused are-
- Saurabh Prasad, Divisional Railway Manager, Waltair (Vizag) Division, East Coast Railway, Visakhapatnam.
- Sanil Rathod, proprietor, M/s DN Marketing, 1406-R, 14th Floor, Navjivan Commercial Complex, Lamington Road, D.B. Marg, Mumbai. R/o (1) 1802, 18th Floor, C Wing, World View, Lodha Tower, Mumbai (2) Navjivan Society, 6th Floor, Building No. 8-B, Flat No. 24, Lamington Road, Mumbai.
- Anand Bhagat, Director, M/s HRK Solutions Pvt Ltd., Pune and also proprietor, M/s HRK Enterprises, Pune, R/o Lumbini Nagar, Lane No 2, Private Road, Pune City, Near Le Meridien Hotel, Pune.
- M/s HRK Solutions Pvt Ltd. (Pune), Office No. 103, Sadhu Waswani Chowk Parmar Chamber, Camp, Pune.
- M/s Hindustan Fibre Glass Works Ltd., C1B-231/3&4 GIDC Industrial Estate, Por Ramangandi, Distt.: Vadodara- 391243, Gujarat, India.
- Unknown private persons and public servants.
A reliable information has been received to the effect that Saurabh Prasad, Divisional Railway Manager, Waltair Division, East Coast Railway, Visakhapatnam in connivance with Sanil Rathod, proprietor, M/s DN Marketing, and Anand Bhagat, Director, M/s HRK Solutions Pvt Ltd., Pune and also proprietor, M/s HRK Enterprises, Pune, and other unknown persons, is indulging in corrupt and illegal activities and demanding and obtaining illegal gratification in lieu of favours shown to said parties in clearance of their pending bills for payment and other pending works.
Source has revealed that M/s DN Marketing (Mumbai) and M/s HRK Solutions Pvt Ltd. (Pune), Office No. 103, Sadhu Waswani Chowk Parmar Chamber, Camp Pune are executing a project for Indian Railways under the jurisdiction of Waltair (Vizag) Division of East Coast Railway, involving heavy repairs, renovation and refurbishment of wagons. The said work is being carried out by the said M/s DN Marketing (Mumbai) and M/s HRK Solutions Pvt Ltd. (Pune) on behalf of M/s Hindustan Fibre Glass Works Pvt. Ltd., Vadodara, who were awarded the work by way of a railway contract.
Source has further revealed that Sanil Rathod and Anand Bhagat are liaising with public servants of the Waltair Division, East Coast Railway including Saurabh Prasad to expedite clearance of bills in lieu of illegal gratifications. The source further informed that a bill of M/s Hindustan Fibre Glass Works Pvt. Ltd., C1B – 231/3&4 GIDC Industrial Estate, Por Ramangamdi, Distt.: Vadodara- 391243, Gujarat amounting to Rs. 3.17 crores was pending with the East Coast Railway, Visakhapatnam; with Santosh Patro, Sr. Divisional Mechanical Engineer. Because of considerable delay in execution of the work, hefty penalty was imposed on the contractor.
The source has informed that Shankar Patel, Director, M/s Hindustan Fibre Glass Works Pvt. Ltd. repeatedly urged Sanil Rathod and Anand Bhagat to get the bill cleared as soon as possible. On 04.07.2024, Anand Bhagat told Sanil Rathod that it is absolutely necessary for them to meet the DRM of Vizag for reduction of the proposed penalty in lieu of illegal gratification of Rs. 25 lakh, which would be delivered to Saurabh Prasad before August 15, after clearance of the bill.
The source has further revealed that subsequently Anand Bhagat informed Sanil Rathod that he met Mr. Saurabh Prasad in person at the latter’s office in Vizag on 09.09.2024, with a request to get the penalty lowered and get the pending bill cleared, and assured Saurabh Prasad that he would pay him illegal gratification in lieu of the said favour. Anand Bhagat informed Sanil Rathod that Saurabh Prasad contacted the Sr.DME in his presence and impressed upon him that the bill has to be cleared on priority. Sanil Rathod and Anand Bhagat also discussed that Saurabh Prasad agreed that the money wil be delivered in Mumbai, to him or to his spouse Ms. Manjushree Prasad.
The source has further informed that pursuant to intervention of Saurabh Prasad, the pending bill of M/s Hindustan Fibre Glass Works Pvt. Ltd. was finally cleared for payment in late October 2024, and the final penalty levied was much lower than what was initially assessed by the Railway authorities. On 10.11.2024, Sanil Rathod informed Anand Bhagat that DRM Saurabh Prasad had called him to say that he would be visiting Mumbai on 15.11.2024. Thereafter, Sanil Rathod and Anand Bhagat decided to deliver the bribe amount of Rs.25 lakh to Mr Saurabh Prasad.
The source has further informed that Saurabh Prasad, Divisional Railway Manager, Waltair Division, East Coast Railway arrived at Mumbai in the evening of 15.11.2024. Sanil Rathod informed Anand Bhagat that Saurabh Prasad has agreed to meet them at the Pizza-By-The-Bay Restaurant on 16.11.2024 and to further decide the place and time of delivery of the bribe amount. The source has informed that Sanil Rathod is likely to deliver the bribe amount to Saurabh Prasad on 16.11.2024.
The aforesaid information discloses commission of cognizable offence(s) U/s 61(2) of BNS 2023 ╨│/w Sections 7, 8, 9, 10 & 12 of PC Act 1988 (As amended in 2018) and substantive offences thereof by the said (1) Saurabh Prasad, Divisional Railway Manager, Waltair Division, East Coast Railway, Visakhapatnam; (2) Sanil Rathod, proprietor, M/s DN Marketing, Mumbai; (3) Anand Bhagat, Director, M/s HRK Solutions Pvt Ltd., (4) M/s HRK Solutions Pvt Ltd. (5) M/s Hindustan Fibre Glass Works Pvt. Ltd., Gujarat and other unknown private persons and public servants. A regular Case is, therefore, registered and entrusted to Bhanvrendra Choudhary, Inspector, CBI, AC-I for investigation.
Courtesy: CBI-FIR No. RC 216 2024 A 0011, dated 16.11.2024.