All Are Equal In A Syndicate Of Corrupt Officers
Spare a thought for a whistle blower having a tug-of-war with a syndicate of corrupt officers. The cases of corruption in India’s biggest public sector company: Steal Authority of India (SAIL) suggest that now corruption is a natural phenomenon. No one bothers any complaint is raised against corruption and misconducts. Corrupt practice is now a part of system developed in the government. Those who raise voices against corruption face the music.
It is not the only complaint of misuse of authority against Munish Ahuja. There are umpteen number of complaints, all buried and he has been made Head of Sales in SAIL. He was also suspended in the matter of supplies to Venkatesh Infra Projects P Ltd for which CBI/Lokpal investigations are still on.
Ahuja was also suspended on Jan 19, 2024 along with 28 other officers after the LOKPAL order dated Jan 10, 2024
Promoting, encouraging, aiding & fostering corruption - All the alleged tainted officials have been rewarded and the Whistle Blower who saved Rs 125 to 150 Crores annually for SAIL by arresting the supplies to the FAKE Projects, has been unscrupulously given premature retirement.
Numerous such ‘open & shut’ complaints, where it has been proved beyond doubt by the complainant itself that steel supplied to FAKE Projects has been traded/re-sold by them, are either been kept pending or buried by SAIL.
Panipat (Haryana) based JRCL Group through its subsidiaries and associated concerns JRCL Steel P Ltd, Jagdish Rai Chaman Lal, Gauri Buildcon & JRCL Trading Co, is engaged in the supplying and trading of Mild Steel Products & TMT Bars.
Jagdish Rai Chaman Lal is in business with Faridabad Branch of SAIL-CMO for the past many years as a Dealer of TMT Bars and Trader.
In Nov 2015, when Abheek Kanti Mullick was the Branch Manager of Long Products at Faridabad Branch of SAIL-CMO, Gauri Buildcon was introduced as a FAKE Project in the Faridabad Branch. Mullick went on to supply about 12,000 Tonne of TMT Bars & Coils till Sep 2017 to the trading firm in the name of Project before being transferred from Faridabad to Kolkata in Jun 2018 as Key Account Manager for Jindal (India) Ltd and Utkarsh India Ltd.
In addition, about 250 Tonne of TMT Bars & Coils were sold to Gauri Buildcon by Indore and Nagpur branch of SAIL-CMO also.
It has been gathered that during the same period i.e. Nov 2015 to Sep 2017 about 14,000 Tonne of TMT Bars & Coils were sold to Jagdish Rai Chaman Lal as SAIL Dealer for TMT. Considering the price difference operated for Gauri Buildcon and Jagdish Rai Chaman Lal, the former was given an additional cumulative discount of Rs 1.50 Crores in the name of Project.
The nefarious acts of Mullick are not limited to supply of TMT to Gauri Buildcon as FAKE Project by giving heavy discounts. During Aug to Nov 2021, as Key Account Manager for Jindal (India) Ltd and Utkarsh India Ltd, Mullick helped in playing another game when he along with Munish Ahuja [RM(ER)] and others allowed about 14,000 Tonne of Hot Rolled Coils to be sold to the above two Key Accounts of SAIL, through Venkatesh Infra Projects P Ltd (VIPPL). For details, please read our story – ‘SAIL PROJECT SCAM: Another dimension to SAIL’s nexus with Venkatesh Infra Projects P Ltd: SAIL routes steel through Venkatesh Infra Projects P Ltd’ so that VIPPL can complete its MOU and get the Turn Over Discount [TOD] of Rs 4.05 Crores from SAIL.
It may again be noted that even through all the jugglery done by SAIL officials, VIPPL could not complete the MOU but even though TOD payment of Rs 4.05 CR was released to VIPPL. A complaint in this regard is pending with SAIL Vigilance since Jan 2025.
In Jan 2023, ‘JRCL Infra P Ltd’ another firm of JRCL Group reached the Eastern Region of SAIL CMO where Munish Ahuja was the Regional Manager and started lifting TMT Bars from the Bhubaneswar branch as a Project. Going ahead Project MOU was signed with the firm from July 01, 2023. It is noteworthy that Ahuja by virtue of Branch manager of Faridabad during 2008 to 2010, had known the promoters of JRCL Group. If is further noteworthy that supplies to JRCL Infra P Ltd as a FAKE Project were initiated by Ahuja after the complaint on Venkatesh Infra Projects P Ltd, the first complaint on FAKE Projects was already available with SAIL and Ahuja was fully aware of the same.
Till Sep 2024, about 2,600 Tonne of TMT Bars were sold to the firm through Bhubaneswar branch as Project by giving heavy discounts amounting to over Rs 50.00 Lacs. Ahuja was suspended in Jan 2024 and passed the baton to his successor.
As per the invoices issued by SAIL, about 125 T was shipped to ‘JRCL Infra P Ltd, Krishna Builder, Construction of IOCL Township, Expansion of Paradip Refinery’ and balance to ‘JRCL Infra P Ltd, Construction of Vyasa Sarobar, Vyasa Nagar, Jajpur, Odisha’.
Mentioning KRISHNA BUILDER in the invoices shows beyond doubt that SAIL officials themselves allowed JRCL Infra P Ltd to sell TMT Bars to Krishna Builder.
As per our investigation, Construction of Vyasa Sarobar at Jajpur has also been awarded to Krishna Builder by NBCC which means that the TMT Bars sold by SAIL to JRCL Infra P Ltd by giving heavy discounts in the name of project have been further sold to Krishna Builder.
It has also been gathered that over 100 Tonne of TMT Bars were also sold to the same firm by the Gwalior Branch in the month of Oct 2020, which was shipped to Panipat only.
Greed overpowered Fear of Law; System Support brings Audacity
Although it spread like a wild fire but Ahuja was among those few officers whom SAIL management handed over the entire copy of the complaint on supply of steel to Venkatesh Infra Projects P Ltd which was lodged by the Whistle Blower Rajeev Bhatia. Despite being fully aware of the PROJECT SCAM with respect to Venkatesh Infra Projects P Ltd, he continued the supplies to FAKE Projects by illegally using the power / guideline given to him by the senior management of SAIL which is to be utilised for firms which are doing Project / Construction work. Nov 2022 onwards i.e. after the complaint on Venkatesh Infra Projects P Ltd, branch-wise estimated quantity supplied to FAKE Projects from Eastern Region: Durgapur ~ 35,000 T; Patna ~ 30,000 T; Bhubaneshwar ~ 20,000 T; Bokaro ~ 8,000 T.
To know more about Ahuja, read: ‘SAIL PROJECT SCAM and WHISTLE BLOWER’S Inquiry Officer’
https://www.bureaugram.com/news/sail-project-scam-and-whistle-blowers-inquiry-officer
Vigil Mechanism policy of SAIL can be accessed at
https://www.sail.co.in/sites/default/files/upload/2022-02/Vigil-Mechanism-050222.pdf
Must Read: SAIL Vigil Mechanism: A Fancy Policy; Merely a Showpiece with Zero Statutory Compliance
The same complaint was independently given to Atul Pant, Additional Chief Vigilance Officer, SAIL-CMO and S N Gupta, Vigilance Officer, SAIL Vigilance Officer, SAIL also.
Independent confirmation of complaint was asked on Nov 21, 2024 and the same was also given on Nov 25, 2024.
(The above article has been written based on extensive research and inputs from various sources including sources from SAIL)
