Assam: ED Files PMLA Case Over Rs 60 Cr Border Contracts

GUWAHATI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has filed a prosecution complaint before a special court in Guwahati under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act in connection with an alleged bribery case linked to border infrastructure contracts.

As per an official statement from ED, the case involves multiple accused, including former officials of NPCC Ltd. and private contractors, in connection with the award of contracts for construction of nine Border Out Posts along the Indo-Bangladesh border, estimated at around Rs 60 crore.

Those named in the complaint include former NPCC Ltd. Northeast zonal manager Rakesh Mohan Kotwal; Jalpaiguri project office in-charge Latiful Pasha; Shree Gautam Construction Company Ltd. directors Anish Baid and Binod Singhi; as well as Sunil Kumar and other associated entities, including M/s Jaichand Lal Singhi.

The ED said the investigation was initiated on the basis of an FIR registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which had earlier booked several individuals on corruption charges and later filed a chargesheet in the matter.

According to the agency, its probe revealed that senior officials had allegedly sought illegal gratification for clearing pending bills of a contractor.

“The accused persons demanded illegal gratification for release of withheld running bills and arranged part of the payment through hawala and banking channels,” the ED said.

The agency further stated that a portion of the money was routed through intermediaries before being handed over in cash in Delhi.

“The cash was ultimately delivered to a handler in Delhi, where the transaction was intercepted and the amount recovered,” it added.

Investigators also traced additional proceeds of the alleged bribe to premises in Silchar.

“Further amounts linked to illegal gratification were recovered from premises where the cash had been kept on behalf of the accused,” the ED said.

The probe also indicated that similar demands were allegedly made from other contractors associated with NPCC projects.

Further investigation in the case is underway, the agency added.

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