CHENNAI: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered a First Information Report against the then officials of the Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (TANGEDCO), without naming them, other public servants and private contractors in connection with alleged irregularities in transformer procurement tenders that reportedly caused a loss of Rs 397 crore to the government exchequer, when V Senthilbalaji was the minister.
The FIR was registered by the CBI's Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB), Chennai, on Saturday following a direction from the Madras High Court to conduct a fresh investigation into complaints alleging corruption in tenders floated by TANGEDCO for the supply of distribution transformers ranging from 25 KVA to 500 KVA during 2021, 2022 and 2023.
According to the FIR, the case has been booked under Sections criminal conspiracy and cheating and Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act. The alleged offences include criminal conspiracy, cheating and abuse of official position by public servants.
The complaints were filed by Arappor Iyakkam, represented by its Managing Trustee Jayaram Venkatesan; E Saravanan, Deputy Secretary of the AIADMK Advocate Wing; and Rajkumar of Madurai district. The complainants had sought registration of an FIR and a detailed probe into the alleged corruption in the transformer procurement process.
The FIR cites officials of the then Tender Inviting Authority and Tender Scrutiny Committee of TANGEDCO, besides other public servants and private persons or contractors, as accused.
The agency alleged that the tender process led to unjust enrichment of bidders and caused a corresponding loss of about Rs 397 crore to the State exchequer.
CBI officials have taken up the investigation and appointed Deputy Superintendent of Police J Chandru of the CBI ACB, Chennai, as the Investigating Officer in the case. The alleged irregularities are stated to have occurred between 2021 and 2023 at Chennai and other places across Tamil Nadu.
The FIR was registered pursuant to a common order passed by the Madras High Court in a batch of petitions seeking an independent investigation into the allegations.