SAIL ED, Sanjay Agrawal: An undisciplined disciplinary authority
Sanjay left Sanjay behind
SAIL’s Sanjay reminds us of Mahabharata’s Sanjay, who while sitting in Hastinapur narrated the entire battle through live commentary to the blind king Dhritarashtra, fought between Kauravas and Pandavas at Kurukshetra, a place about 150 KM away from Hastinapur. SAIL’s Sanjay also used his farsightedness and foresightedness to label Bhatia’s complaints as insinuations, lacking evidence, imaginary, malicious, vexatious, and frivolous without conducting any investigation in his complaints.
Whistle Blower Rajeev Bhatia sent the corruption complaints to Soma Mondal and V S Chakravarty, the then Chairman and Director (Commercial) of SAIL on Nov 17, 2022. Both buried the complaints under the carpet and suspended the Whistle Blower on Nov 24, 2022 without providing any reason.
Subsequently charges were framed against the Whistle Blower and a charge sheet was served to him by Sanjay Agrawal, the disciplinary authority. The main charge levelled against him was that the allegations levelled in the complaints are insinuations and lack evidence. They are found to be imaginary, malicious, vexatious, and frivolous. The above charges were framed against Bhatia without conducting any investigation whatsoever in the complaints sent by him to Soma and Chakravarty.
Matter was not limited to framing of the charges. Sanjay appointed Munish Ahuja as the Inquiry Officer, knowing fully well that Ahuja is one of the key players in the sale of steel to the firms covered by Bhatia in his complaints.
Ahuja proved to another Sanjay who also used his divine power and visionary prowess to prove that the Bhatia’s complaints as insinuations, lacking evidence, imaginary, malicious, vexatious, and frivolous, without conducting any investigations either himself or inquiring from CVO-SAIL to whom LOKPAL, through CVC, had given the task of investigations in the complaints of the Whistle Blower Rajeev Bhatia.
Farsightedness and foresightedness followed by complete visual impairment
Based on the investigation report submitted by CVO SAIL, vide letter No. 1(7)2023-V&R dated July 28, 2023, Ministry of steel recommended for CBI inquiry into complaint No 73 and 74 of LOKPAL pertaining to steel supplies to Venkatesh Infra Projects P Ltd and Avon Steel Industries P Ltd. The relevant portions of the above letter are reproduced below.
While recommending CBI inquiry, the Ministry also advised SAIL to initiate Regular Departmental Action against M C Agrawal, the then ED (Sales & ITD) of SAIL.
While pronouncing severe punishment to Bhatia on Sep 28, 2023 for the charge that his complaints are insinuations, lacking evidence, imaginary, malicious, vexatious, and frivolous, Sanjay was well aware that Bhatia’s complaints have been found substantive and CBI investigations have been recommended by the Ministry in the complaints. But owing to “Conflict of Interest” and smadhi of M C Agrawal, he inflicted severe punishment on Bhatia, which was later formed the basis for unlawfully invoking Rule 56(j) to give premature retirement to Bhatia.
On Dec 01, 2022; Jan 01, 2023 & Jan 11, 2023, the same complaints were sent by Bhatia to the Prime Minister of India. The complaints of corruption and financial irregularities contained Soma’s name as one of the alleged officers. On all three occasions, via the Ministry of Steel, the complaints came to Chairman SAIL Soma and she buried them also on all the three occasions.
Witnessing that his complaints would not see the light of the day with PMO, MoS and SAIL, Bhatia lodged the same complaints with LOKPAL of India on Feb 11, 2023. In between the complaints were sent by Bhatia to the Minister of Steel and CVC also. CVO-SAIL received the complaints vide letters dated Dec 19, 2022; Dec 23, 2023 and Apr 17, 2023 respectively from Steel Ministry, CVC, and LOKPAL.
LOKPAL had already handed them over to the complaints to CBI via its order dated Jan 10, 2024 and 29 officers were suspended on Jan 19, 2024 on the directions of the Ministry. Ahuja and Chakravarty were among the suspended officers. On the directions of the LOKPAL, CBI registered the first FIR RC2182024A0021 on Oct 10, 2024. It again proved that the complaints sent by Bhatia to Soma and Chakravarty were not insinuations, lacking evidence, imaginary, malicious, vexatious, and frivolous. Despite the above facts, Bhatia was given premature retirement on Feb 11, 2025 on the basis of punishment order dated on Sep 28, 2023.
Although, in both the complaints CBI inquiry was ordered by LOKPAL as early as Jan 10, 2024, but CBI could register the second FIR only on July 25, 2025. Had Soma Mondal not challenged the LOKPAL’s order in the Delhi High Court, the second FIR RC2182025A0015 could also have been registered by CBI before Feb 11, 2025.The second FIR was registered after intervention of LOKPAL vide its order dated July 07, 2025 followed by interaction with Director CBI on July 15, 2025. Who knows knocking doors of the Delhi High Court was a well thought strategy to delay the investigation process.
The Appellate Authority, Chakravarty, through a non-speaking and cryptic order issued in July 2024, concurred with the arbitrary punishment order issued by Sanjay, after keeping Bhatia’s appeal for 9 long months against the prescribed period of maximum 3 months. SAIL waited for Chakravarty to come back from suspension so that he can unleash his vengeance on Bhatia, whose complaints were responsible for his suspension.
It has been gathered that Bhatia made a representation to CMD SAIL Amerandu Prakash in July 2024, against the Chakravarty’s order. Amerandu never replied to Bhatia’s representation but gave premature retirement to him on Feb 11, 2025.
(The above article has been written based on extensive research and inputs from various sources including sources from SAIL)
Must read the related stories :
For Sanjay Agarwal
https://www.bureaugram.com/news/sail-ed-sanjay-agrawal-a-dog-lover-and-enemy-of-honest-officers
For M C Agarwal
https://www.bureaugram.com/news/sail-project-scam-a-syndicate-of-connivances
https://www.bureaugram.com/news/nexus-between-ofbusiness-and-sail-officials
For Munish Ahuja
https://www.bureaugram.com/news/sail-project-scam-and-whistle-blowers-inquiry-officer
For Soma Mondal
https://www.bureaugram.com/news/soma-mondal-will-she-get-another-term-as-member-pesb
For V S Chakravarty
For Amerandu Prakash
https://www.bureaugram.com/news/sail-cmd-amerandu-prakash-another-impropriety-sticks-him
https://www.bureaugram.com/news/sail-project-scam-a-syndicate-of-connivances
