Scandal in Indian Foreign Service, 2 officers booked

CONTRACT SCAM: Officers accused of illegally favouring companies while awarding contracts.

ibnlive.com is on mobile now. Read news, watch videos
be a Citizen Journalist. Log on to m.ibnlive.com NOW!

Related Stories

• Manmohan Singh a very wise leader: Obama

• Rift in BJP as party inducts corrupt UP ex-bureaucrat

• Scam in defence deals: India blacklists seven companies

Top Headlines

Top Videos

Most Popular

• Gujarat dry status an ideological hangover? 

• India dry, Pawar says well-stocked for 13 months | Drought diary 

• Manmohan, Gilani fix up meeting without a date 

• India puts it in writing: Pak planned 26/11 

• Burger King apologises to Hindus for offensive ad 

• SC takes up plea against gay sex, issues notice 

• Suspected Dawood aide acquitted in fake currency case 

• Another 'lover' arrested at Sania Mirza's house 

• Mumbai, Pune and Delhi face 30-40 pc water shortage 

• Politicos get into the ABC of Varun's Z-plus security 

• MP drought-hit 

• Sariska tigers siblings, incest dangerous: Experts 

• 2016 Games contenders go all out to woo voters 

• Watch: Zardari admits to nurturing terrorists 

• SC takes up plea against gay sex, issues notice 

• CJ: Delhi-based builders make off with money 

• Pune reels under 40 per cent water cuts 

• RTI against college lands DCE student in trouble 

• Sports officer attacked for fighting corruption 

• Watch: Ferreira talks about sports and Union Budget 

• Forbes India: 20 stocks you must own 

• Dry state Gujarat reels under hooch tragedy 

• Burger King apologises to Hindus for offensive ad 

• India puts it in writing: Pak planned 26/11 

• Army honours Mohanlal with Lieutenant Colonel post 

• Another 'lover' arrested at Sania Mirza's house 

• MP drought-hit 

• Sariska tigers siblings, incest dangerous: Experts 

• Mamata dismisses corporate structure for railways 

• Mysore: PFI activists clash with police, lathicharged 

Photogallery

Find us on Facebook | Join IBNLive community

Stay ahead with G-Talk Buddy | Click now!

New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has booked a retired and serving officer of the Indian Foreign Service (IFS) for alleged criminal conspiracy, cheating and abuse of official position—shocking charges against officials of the elite service.

Rakesh Kumar, a retired officer of 1971 IFS batch, and Madhup Mohta, an officer of the 1985 batch, have been charged with committing financial irregularities during their tenure with the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR).

The CBI has filed three FIRs against them before a special court in New Delhi. The CBI alleges Kumar and Mohta, during their tenure as director general and deputy director general in the ICCR, entered into a criminal conspiracy while awarding tenders for setting up the council’s website, preparing an interactive CD-ROM on India and audio-video material on the Hindi language for Rs 34 lakh in November 2004.

The CBI alleged that the two officers awarded the contract for the website to M/S Learning Links though the company didn’t have any experience and was the highest bidder in the tendering procedure.

The CBI alleges that Mohta, who is currently posted at the Indian High Commission at London, and Kumar gave tenders arbitrarily without following proper procedures.

Mohta and Kumar have also been accused of conspiring with some other firms in awarding tenders to prepare promotional audio-video clips for websites on theatres of India and on folk and classical dances in March 2005 for Rs 18 lakh.

The CBI alleged that the contract was awarded to M/s Anju Visual and none of the quotations were found to be in a sealed envelope, as is the practice. During investigations, CBI questioned other companies whose bids had been submitted and it was found that they had never applied for the tender, the CBI sources said.

The third case related to making of a documentary film for which tenders were issued in March 2005. The total amount involved was Rs 30 lakh for making documentary films on folk theaters of South, West and Central India.

The CBI alleged that Kumar and Mohta allegedly conspired with some companies and the contract was given to Bangalore-based Cinermatrix and Mumbai-based Kalakriti and S K Production.

The investigating agency alleged that the two officers did not issue any tenders thus violating the basic rule amounting to abuse of their official position for pecuniary advantage to a particular private firm.