VIJAY DEO JHA
Ranchi, July 9: The tender scam under investigation by the Enforcement Directorate has revealed that a syndicate of powerful politicians and their associates had formed several proxy firms to grab government tenders, especially in the districts of Santhal Pargana.
Sources said that during the preliminary investigation as many as seven to eight firms were found to have dubious credentials that were primarily used as front companies. These entities participated in the tender process to help the main company to grab the tender. Sources aware of the probe said that the business concerns of Amirul Alam and many others are under the scanner of the ED. Amirul Alam was the brother of senior Congress leader and state minister Alamgir Alam. Amirul Alam died last year. The ED is also investigating whether or not minister Alamgir Alam directly or indirectly intervened in managing tenders and used his influence.
“If some selected firms or companies get the majority of contracts where the same set of companies are participants then this is not a coincidence. The number of such suspicious firms may be more than a dozen. The ED investigating the whole gamut of the scam has raided the premises of some suspects. The investigation is not limited to a particular case,” said sources.
The Friday raid against CM’s representative Pankaj Mishra originated from a money-laundering investigation of a case that was lodged by one Pakur-based businessman Shambhu Nandan Kumar in June 2020. He was physically prevented from participating in the tender for the Barharwa highway toll tax collection so that the minister’s brother gets the contract.
It is alleged that minister Alamgir Alam wanted the auction in favour of IA Ingicons Pvt Limited, a company owned by his brother. He even called Shambhu Nandan Kumar not to participate in the auction. Later on, Pankaj Mishra who is the MLA representative of Chief Minister Hemant Soren allegedly made a call to Shambhu Nandan Kumar from the mobile phone of the minister and threatened him with dire consequences if he did not fall in line.
But as he refused to withdraw and somehow participated in the auction he was assaulted. One Chandan Mishra emerged as the highest bidder whereas the minister’s brother’s company emerged as the second-highest bidder. But strangely Chandan Mishra withdrew and the contract was awarded to the minister’s brother’s company. Each participant had to deposit Rs 37 Lakh as caution money. Chandan Mishra had no tested credentials.
It is no coincidence that Bhagwan Bhagat of Bhagwan Stone & Mineral and Subrato Pal were among the bidders. The ED raided their premises on Friday.
Shambhu Nandan Kumar lodged an FIR at Barharwa police station on June 21 against Alamgir Alam, Pankaj Mishra and others under sections 147 (rioting), 149 (member of the unlawful assembly), 341 (wrongful restraint), 342 (wrongful confinement), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 379 (to commit theft), 120 B (criminal conspiracy), 504 (Intentional insult) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the IPC.
