How SAIL Director (Comm) snatches livelihood of ‘Whistle Blower’ after he unearthed rampant corruption in company’s interest!
Instead of supporting and appreciating the ‘Whistle Blower’, Chakravarthy punished him for exposing the corruption by falsely labelling his complaints as insinuations, lacking evidence, imaginary, malicious, vexatious, and frivolous; Chakravarthy gets suspended in the same corruption complaints and many other join the Bandwagon.
Chakravarthy transgressed all limits of not adhering to Ethics, Morality, Corporate Governance, Propriety, Code of Conduct, Vigil Mechanism, Whistle Blower Protection Mechanism etc.
V S Chakravarthy, who took charge as Director (Commercial) of SAIL on December 24, 2021, had joined the SAIL in 1987 in the company’s Central Marketing Organization, a unit of SAIL entrusted with the responsibility of sales and marketing of its steel products. All through his career of 38 years, he remained a CMO man.
Rather than using his CMO experience in the interest of SAIL, Chakravarty used it to bury the complaints
On November 17, 2022 when as Director (Commercial) of SAIL, Chakravarty received three complaints pertaining to steel supplies to Venkatesh Infra Projects P Ltd; Avon Steel Industries P Ltd and Hi-Tech Pipes(Group) containing detailed analysis and data presented in about 70 pages, as a seasoned CMO man with extensive CMO experience of over three and half decades, he immediately judged that that the complaints are very serious in nature where the extant policies on sales of materials have been blatantly flouted. Therefore, afraid of the consequences of independent investigations, instead of handing over the complaints to CVO-SAIL, he decided to launch a witch hunt against the Whistle Blower Rajeev Bhatia.
Chakravarty constituted a team of four officers of HQ/Kolkata, where Bhatia was posted, and ordered sudden confiscation of the official desktop of Bhatia on Nov 21, 2022, which was an absolute surprise for Bhatia. In the confiscated official desktop of Bhatia, Chakravarthy found the same files which were attached with the email dated Nov 17, 2022 sent by Bhatia to him and Soma Mondal, the then Chairman SAIL. On Nov 24, 2022, Chakravarthy ordered suspension of Bhatia without providing him any reason whatsoever.
Since Chakravarthy himself was an active player in the approval process of the sales under complaints, it would have been another consideration for him to bury the complaints under the carpet. His role was later confirmed by the fact that after LOKPAL’s order dated Jan 10, 2024, where the complaints were handed over to CBI for detailed investigations, Chakravarthy was among the 29 officers who were suspended by the Ministry on Jan 19, 2024. The magnitude of his role can be judged from the fact that till date he has not been paid the salary difference for the suspension period (Jan 19, 2024 to Jun 28, 2024) and retiral benefits held up on his superannuation on Jun 30, 2025.
Had the complaints been imaginary and lacking evidence, Chakravarthy would have felt safe and had surely given them to CVO SAIL
Question marks on PESB and AICC
On one hand considering the complaints as highly serious in nature, they were buried by him and on the other hand he instructed his officials down below to charge the Whistle Blower through a chargesheet that the complaints sent by him are insinuations and lack evidence and are found to be imaginary, malicious, vexatious, and frivolous. It is laughable that such charges were levelled against Bhatia for the complaints which were buried and not investigated. We fail to understand how PESB selected him as Director(Commercial) of SAIL, when he lacks basic common sense. It raises question marks on the selection and approval process of PESB and AICC respectively.
Levelling such charges against the Whistle Blower through a chargesheet without any inquiry or investigation in the corruption complaints lodged by him is in itself illegal, unlawful, malicious, and revengeful. As per established laws, such charges can only be framed on the recommendations of the agency entrusted with the investigations.
Only disinterested officers can be part of the disciplinary proceedings process but Chakravarthy deliberately and blatantly flouted this basic Principle of Natural Justice
As Director in-charge of CMO, Chakravarthy, not only misused his authority and got issued arbitrary, whimsical, and laughable chargesheets to the Whistle Blower, through the following officers of CMO. He further ensured that the Whistle Blower is given two major penalties. For this purpose, such officers were chosen deliberately, who had direct “Conflict of Interest” in the matter.
As Director in-charge of CMO, Chakravarthy, through the following officers of CMO, he again used his authority to damage the annual appraisals of the Whistle Blower, who had an excellent and impeccable service record of 30 years.
It has been gathered that Ahuja, Chakravarty, and Gupta were suspended on the basis of the corruption complaints lodged by the Whistle Blower with the LOKPAL. These were the same complaints which were buried by SAIL management on five occasions. It has been further gathered that since original reporting officer of the Whistle Blower point blank refused to spoil his annual appraisal as part of the ongoing vendetta, Prashant Ojha & Bijaya Mishra got assessment of the Whistle Blower done from Singhal although he never reported to Singhal during 2023-24. When Gupta rated the Whistle Blower in his annual appraisal, Gupta was under suspension because of the corruption exposed by the Whistle Blower. As far as Sanjay Agrawal is concerned, MoS recommended initiating of Departmental Action against his samdhi Mahesh Chand Agarwal as early as July 2023 i.e. before Sanjay pronounced severe penalty to the Whistle Blower on Sep 28, 2023 on the basis of false and ludicrous inquiry report prepared by Munish Ahuja. Click on the link below to read our story on Ahuja, the Inquiry Officer.
https://www.bureaugram.com/news/sail-project-scam-and-whistle-blowers-inquiry-officer
Bijaya Mishra and Prashant Ojha, who being from Personnel Department were expected to oversee whether Principles of Natural Justice are being followed or not. However, it has been gathered that they were the only ones who were the piloting the entire fallacious process as per the wishes of Chakravarthy.
Cryptic reply to RTI
It has been gathered that multiple times information has been requested through RTI to know complaints sent to SAIL and PMO have been handed over to which investigating agency. Each time the reply given by SAIL is that it is inconsequential whether complaints have been given to any agency or not, as the same are being investigated by LOKPAL/CBI. It may be noted here that in its cryptic replies, SAIL refers to the copy of complaints which Bhatia directly sent to LOKPAL in Feb 2023 and not the complaints sent to SAIL on Nov 17, 2022 (i.e. to Chakravarty and Soma Mondal, the then Director (Commercial) and Chairman) and to PMO on Dec 01, 2022; Jan 01, 2023 & Jan 11, 2023.
SAIL and Ministry : Terrifically in Tune : Burying Corruption Complaints is an Established Procedure
Complaints were lodged on CPGRAMS regarding burial of corruption complaints by Chakravarty and Soma. Every time the Ministry gives a cryptic reply: “It is informed that the complaints are dealt as per established procedure”. The above reply of the Ministry suggests that burial of non-anonymous complaints is part of established procedure for the Ministry. Readers may please note that the above reply have been given by the ministry when bench of LOKPAL had already ordered CBI investigations on the set of complaints which were sent by Bhatia directly to them. You can understand how the Ministry safeguards every delinquent and corrupt officer of SAIL and punishes the honest and upright Whistle Blower.
Soma mum; Chakravarthy kept selling; Narendra let it happen; Amerandu follows Soma footsteps
Among the Board members, Soma and Chakravarthy were aware of the complaints as they had received them directly from the Whistle Blower. Apart from them, Abijeet Narendra, Joint Secretary, MoS & Government Nominee Director on SAIL Board must also be aware of the complaints as on Dec 12, 2022 MoS forwarded the same complaints to CVO-SAIL. It would not be out of place to assume that any one of them must have placed the issue on the table during the next Board meeting.
Though the Board collectively was responsible to arrest the supplies to FAKE PROJECTS but being Director In-charge of CMO as Director (Commercial) of SAIL, Chakravarthy had the prime responsibility. Moreover, he had over three and half decade experience of CMO working behind his back.
In addition, Narendra had the dual role. Apart from Joint Secretary, Ministry of Steel, he is also the Government Nominee Director on SAIL board. With dual role, he has double responsibility to oversee the interests of SAIL as well as of Government of India and Public. Narendra has been on SAIL Board as Government Director since Apr 28, 2022.
Neither Chakravarthy nor Narendra, took any initiative to stop sales to FAKE PROJECTS after the receipt of complaint regarding sales to Venkatesh Infra Projects P Ltd. Sources confirm to Bureaugram.com that about 3,00,000 Tonne of steel was sold during the period between receipt of first complaint on FAKE PROJECT i.e. of Venkatesh Infra Projects P Ltd and Order dated Jan 10, 2024 of LOKPAL vide which the matter was handed over to CBI.
LOKPAL order dumped
In its Order dated Jan 10, 2024, LOKPAL made scathing remarks on the functioning of SAIL and directed SAIL to formulate a clear and unambiguous policy with regard to MOU, pricing, and relaxation. Immediately after the above order, 29 officials were suspended by the Ministry also but brazenness among SAIL officials was so high that they dumped the order of LOKPAL and kept supplying steel to Traders in the name of Projects. It has been gathered that about 75,000 Tonne of steel has been sold after Jan 10, 2024 also.
Source : Order dated January 10, 2024 of Honourable LOKPAL of India
https://lokpalonline.gov.in/lokpalonline/cdn/web_upload/CN73,74and752023_1705052862.pdf
A board meeting was scheduled by SAIL on Feb 11, 2025. It has been gathered that apart from other issues, financial results for Oct-Dec 2024 quarter & proposal for premature retirement of the Whistle Blower was also placed before the board for consideration during the meeting to get rid of him as he was a strong hindrance in their corruption.
For reading other stories on supply to FAKE PROJECTS after LOKPAL order click on the following links:
https://www.bureaugram.com/news/sail-project-scam-a-syndicate-of-connivances
https://www.bureaugram.com/news/is-sale-of-300000-tonne-responsible-for-exit-of-cmd-sail
Vide OM-F.No.18(11)/2016-MGMT dated Jan 24, 2020, Department of Public Enterprises of Ministry of Heavy Industries & Public Enterprises issued a detailed memo regarding the role of Government Directors on the Boards of CPSEs. The same is available at the link given below:
https://www.dpe.gov.in/static/uploads/2025/07/09c5c1ab48cc8909db8313265988b04b.pdf
This is the third story in the series which we have started on the role of Abhijeet Narendra and other officers of the Ministry of Steel in the corruption in SAIL.
For the first and second story click on the links below:
(The above article has been written based on extensive research and inputs from various sources including sources from SAIL)
