SAIL: Join the System of Corruption or face the music [Part2]
![SAIL: Join the System of Corruption or face the music [Part2]](https://www.bureaugram.com/storage/uploads/Year/2026/June/SAIL/1_sail1.jpg)
Promoting, Encouraging & Nurturing Corruption: A Whistle Blower Rajeev Bhatia, who raised voice against corrupt system, was ‘Venomously & Vitriolically Victimised’ whereas officials involved in the corruption rewarded, promoted, lauded, revered, glorified and given foreign tours.
https://www.bureaugram.com/news/sail-project-scam-fake-projects-felling-tmt-still-selling
SAIL snatched the livelihood of the Whistle Blower whereas suspended officers were brought back to lucrative, sensitive and plum posts to amass livelihood for their future generations also.
A calculated move to motivate other officers of SAIL to emulate them in the area of FAKE Projects and other nefarious activities.
The journey of FAKE Project Scam of SAIL has four vital milestones. The estimated sales during the four periods hide the real saga of Promoting, Encouraging & Nurturing Corruption by SAIL management.
For explanation for the above four baskets please refer Part 1 of the story:
https://www.bureaugram.com/news/sail-join-the-system-of-corruption-or-face-the-music-part-1
The summary of the contributions of each officer in deliberately eroding the top and bottom line of SAIL through their corrupt acts and decisions and how they rose in the hierarchy ladder, covered in the Part 1 is as under:
Taking it forward in this part, we cover more officers who are at Director, Executive Director and Chief General Manager level.
1. T N Natarajan – Received CBI questionnaire in the fresh Fake Project cases
The above extraordinary effort of T N Natarajan was duly acknowledged and rewarded by the SAIL management. From BM/Trichy, he was made Key Account Manager for a few major accounts of SAIL. Then he was elevated to Regional Business Manager (Flat Products) for the Western Region. Witnessing his audacity to sell steel to FAKE Projects even after the Venkatesh Complaint, in July 2023 given the charge of Regional Manager of Western Region and subsequently he was promoted to CGM and made full-fledged Regional Manager of Western Region. He crossed all the limits and kept selling to the FAKE Projects after LOKPAL order dated Jan 10, 2024 also, which was recognised by selecting him for the post of Director (Commercial) of SAIL. As CGM he was also awarded a foreign tour to Europe.
https://www.bureaugram.com/news/ministry-rewards-natarajan-for-dumping-lokpals-order
https://www.bureaugram.com/news/will-natarajan-get-acc-approval-as-suresh-obtained-for-cmd-moil
2. V Suresh – Suspended after the LOKPAL Order
Being Regional Manager of Northern Region of SAIL from Jan 2019 to May 2021, around Sep/Oct 2020, he initiated the business with Venkatesh Infra Projects P Ltd and supply of SWSR14 Blooms to Avon Steel Industries P Ltd at exorbitantly low prices.
BLA Udyog P Ltd is another trading firm of the promoters of Venkatesh. During 2019, he had already sold over 800 T to this firm as FAKE Projects from Kanpur and Faridabad of his region. Thus, he was fully aware about the promoters of Venkatesh and their business activities. Despite this, he went ahead to sign a Project MOU for 1,50,000 T with Venkatesh.
Regarding Ludhiana based Avon also, he was very well conversant with the end product and business dynamics of the firm, as he was the branch manager of Ludhiana between 2003 to 2007.
Around May 2021, his above endeavour was also greeted by SAIL management by promoting his to Executive Director (Coal Import Group) and shifted to the Corporate Office of SAIL where he was entrusted with the job of importing over 15 million Tonne of Coal annually. Soon it was realised that the post of ED is not commensurate with the effort put in by him to destroy the top and bottom line of SAIL. In Nov 2022 he was selected as Director Commercial NMDC and in Oct 2025 as CMD-MOIL, pending CBI inquiry. He was suspended after the LOKPAL order dated Jan 10, 2024. The salary difference for the suspension period has still not been released to him.
Avon is a true case of ‘White Collar Corruption’, where the nuance in the chemistry of steel has been used as the stealth weapon to cause loss of Rs 370 Crores to SAIL. Apart from being very well familiar with Avon’s business, Suresh is also a metallurgical engineer from NIT/Rourkela and therefore he cannot take shelter in the umbrella of ignorance also.
3. Mohan Krishan Agarwal – Suspended after the LOKPAL Order
Agarwal was Regional Business Manager for Long Products in the Northern Region from Jan 2020 to Feb 2023. Like V Suresh, he was also Ludhiana’s Branch Manager between 2007 to 2009, hence fully conversant with the end product and business dynamics of Avon.
Further, it has been gathered from the sources that he along with Sanchit Soni, the then Regional Business Manager for Flat Products in the Northern Region, had visited the premises of Venkatesh and certified that the firm is a Project.
The above performance of Agarwal was rewarded by the SAIL management in Feb 2023 by promoting him to CGM (Retail) and then to CGM (Long Products). These posts are all India heads for Retail and Long Products respectively. He was suspended after the LOKPAL order dated Jan 10, 2024. Going against the Ministry, CMD SAIL Amarendu released the salary difference for the suspension period to him.
4. Jacob Chako – Suspended after the LOKPAL Order otherwise the sales numbers would have been more staggering
In 2013, Jacob Chacko, then Branch Manager of the Jaipur, issued materials worth ₹ 4.82 crores to M/s Shiv Mahima Ispat P Ltd against cheque beyond the cheque facility provided to the firm —effectively extending unsecured credit in violation of the company’s prevailing policy. The cheque was subsequently dishonoured, and the firm failed to respond. The Director (Commercial) reportedly opposed the imposition of penalty on Chacko, allegedly influenced by internal collusion and external pressures. However, the Vigilance Department, based on the gravity of the lapse, firmly insisted on the imposition of a major penalty, which was ultimately enforced. Although the case was recommended for referral to the CBI, it is understood that the process was subsequently stalled. Notably, Chacko was promoted soon after completion of the penalty period although money has still not been realised by SAIL.
After placing him on non-sensitive posts, in 2019, he was again brought back to a highly sensitive post of Regional Business Manager at Mumbai and then in March 2021 promoted to CGM (Long Products) at Kolkata at CMO/HQ. He was suspended after the LOKPAL order dated Jan 10, 2024.
Till Anil Chaudhry was on the chair of CMD, Chacko did not got promotion to E8 Grade (i.e. CGM) and spent 8 years in E7 Grade. The moment Chaudhary superannuated on Dec 31, 2020, Soma Mondal took over as Chairman SAIL on Jan 01, 2021 and Chacko immediately managed his promotion to All India Head of Sales for Long Products in Mar 2021. It may be noted that during this time Soma was also holding the charge of D(C). Everything was planned. The departure of Anil Chaudhry from the scene was being eagerly awaited. This tells you that promotions in SAIL are not merit based but they are individual driven.
Going against the Ministry, CMD SAIL Amarendu released the salary difference for the suspension period to him. He superannuated on Sep 30, 2024. Full retiral benefits were released to him by violating the Ministry’s directive once again.
5. Abhijeet Kumar – Suspended after the LOKPAL Order otherwise the sales numbers would have been more staggering
In Aug 2019, from Regional Business Manager for Flat Products of Northern Region he was posted as Regional Manager of the Western Region, despite being in E7 grade only. In Feb 2021, he was promoted to E8 grade [CGM] for supplying over 60,000 T to FAKE Projects between Aug 2019 to Feb 2021. The major FAKE Projects include - First India Infrastructure P Ltd ~ 25,000 T; BLA Uydog P Ltd ~ 9,000 T [Both connected to Venkatesh] and 12,000 T to three firms connected to OFB Tech P Ltd [where M C Agarwal, the then ED (Sales & ITD) joined as Director after superannuation].
https://www.bureaugram.com/news/agarwals-agarwals-and-sail-officials-a-noticeable-nexus
https://www.bureaugram.com/news/nexus-between-ofbusiness-and-sail-officials
Thereafter in May 2021 he was posted as Regional Manager of the Northern Region and took over the reins from V Suresh. He perfectly occupied the space left vacant with the promotion of Suresh and carried on with the spree of sales to FAKE Projects and sales of SWR14 Blooms to Avon. Suspended after LOKPAL’s order dated Jan 10, 2024 for his hyper active role in the process of supplying about 45,000 and 1,65,000 T steel to Venkatesh Infra Projects P Ltd & Avon Steel Industries P Ltd respectively as Regional Manager of the Northern Region. Also sold about 35,000 T to the firms connected to OFB Tech P Ltd.
Though after suspension revocation pending CBI inquiry, the officers were not to be joined back at the positions held while approving / forwarding / initiating the proposal(s) in question, Abhijeet still was joined back as RM/NR. Sources claim that since business with both the firms was transacted by Northern Region, he was brought back as RM there to set the office records pertaining to the two firms before possible CBI raids (if any).
Going against the Ministry, CMD SAIL Amarendu released the salary difference for the suspension period to him. Thereafter, within a few months, he Promoted to ED by a the panel which included a Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Steel also.
https://www.bureaugram.com/news/corruption-in-sail-role-of-steel-secretary-under-scanner
https://www.bureaugram.com/news/officials-leverage-old-associations-to-connive-and-destroy-sail
https://www.bureaugram.com/news/agrawal-family-and-sail-officials-a-relationship-beyond-business
6. Munish Ahuja – Suspended after the LOKPAL Order otherwise the sales numbers would have been more staggering
Ahuja was appointed as Regional Manager of the Eastern Region in Jan 2019 and from the first day itself he started selling steel to FAKE Projects. In the very first year he sold about 24,000 T. Though it was a fit case for his removal from the highly sensitive post but he was continued for 5 full years, for which even the rotation guidelines of CVC applicable for sensitive posts were compromised.
Considering his excellent performance in sales to FAKE Projects, after 5 years as RM/ER, he was made RM/SR and then RM/NR. SAIL management was very keen on promoting him as ED but it has been gathered that the Vigilance department put his foot down due to his nefarious activities. Hell bent on rewarding Ahuja, CMD SAIL, Amarendu Prakash, before submitting his resignation on Jan 02, 2026, placed him on the chair of ED (sales & ITD) in Dec 2025, despite being a CGM only. In doing so, Amarendu by-passed many Executive Directors.
As RM/ER, Ahuja has sold over 21,000 T to Venkatesh Infra Projects P Ltd which included about 14,000 T of HR Coils which were sold through Venkatesh to Jindal (India) Ltd and Utkarsh India Ltd to facilitate MOU completion for Venkatesh. It may again be noted that even through all the jugglery done by SAIL officials, Venkatesh could not complete the MOU but even though TOD payment of Rs 4.05 CR was released to Venkatesh. A complaint in this regard is pending with SAIL Vigilance since Jan 2025.
https://www.bureaugram.com/news/all-are-equal-in-a-syndicate-of-corrupt-officers
https://www.bureaugram.com/news/does-steel-secretary-cover-up-rampant-corruption
By virtue of being Inquiry Officer in the ‘FAKE & ARBITRARY’ disciplinary proceedings initiated against the Whistle Blower Rajeev Bhatia for exposing the blatant corruption, SAIL management had handed over the entire copy of the complaint on supply of steel to Venkatesh to Ahuja. Despite being fully aware of the PROJECT SCAM with respect to Venkatesh, 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, as RM/ER, Ahuja further sold about 96,000 T to FAKE Projects. It is noteworthy that despite having direct conflict of interest Ahuja was deliberately appointed as the Inquiry Officer. It is reiterated that he had sold over 21,000 T to Venkatesh and the same was mentioned in the copy of the complaint handed over to him. He was suspended after the LOKPAL order dated Jan 10, 2024. Going against the Ministry, CMD SAIL Amarendu released the salary difference for the suspension period to him. After signing the compromised inquiry report against Bhatia, D(C) also awarded him a foreign tour to Europe where his wife also accompanied him.
https://www.bureaugram.com/news/sail-project-scam-and-whistle-blowers-inquiry-officer
https://www.bureaugram.com/news/sail-ed-sanjay-agrawal-an-undisciplined-disciplinary-authority
7. Chandresh Kumar – Suspended after the LOKPAL Order
After bring him back from suspension, CMD SAIL Amarendu not only released the salary difference for the suspension period to him but also promoted him to the post of CGM. He resigned from SAIL around Oct 2025. Having burnt hands with release of retiral benefits to Jacob, this time separation benefits have been withheld for him.
https://www.bureaugram.com/news/sail-uncontrolled-greed-unchecked-rampant-corruption
8. Hari Shankar Durgapal
First SAIL management rewarded him with promotion in March 2025 to the post of the CGM and then after a few months, in Jan 2026, posted him as Regional Manager of Western Region. He replaced Natarajan. It may be noted that out of 1,39,000 T, about 1,00,000 T was sold by Natarajan and Durgapal as a syndicate of RM/WR and RBM(LP)/WR. Therefore, Natarajan found him the ideal successor to slip into his shoes as RM/WR.
9. Vinod Singhal
The Marketing vertical was created on Dec 15, 2018 in CMO-SAIL, following the recommendation of BCG who was engaged for the turnaround of SAIL by paying a hefty sum of over ₹ 84 Crores.
Apart from other responsibilities, Marketing was made the overall custodian of the selling prices of the various products sold by the sales team. The idea was borrowed from other similar industries with a view that pricing must not be left with the sales team as they have the tendency of unnecessarily reducing the operating prices to achieve the monthly sales targets, thus suppressing the market prices resulting in perpetual reduction in prices. Marketing department was placed to strike the balance between the targets assigned to the sales team and the operating prices.
Singhal was promoted to the post of CGM (Marketing) in Jan 2022. He was also the reporting officer of the Whistle Blower Rajeev Bhatia. It has been gathered that before sending the complaints in writing to the then CMD and D[C] of SAIL, on a number of occasions, he apprised Singhal of all the irregularities but he turned blind eye to them although as the head of marketing it was his prime job to increase the profitability of SAIL. Moreover, from his BM/Ghaziabad time [2014 to 2017], he knew Ms. Ekta Agarwal, the Director of Venkatesh, who used to visit him on behalf of BLA Udyog P Ltd [a trading firm belonging to the promoters of Venkatesh]. Readers may please note that Singhal as BM/GHA sold about 350 T of steel to BLA Udyog P Ltd as Project.
The inaction on his part seems to be dictated by the senior management as later on also on the diktat of the senior management he played a key role in the overall revenge agenda of the SAIL management against the Whistle Blower Bhatia. It has been gathered that after purposely spoiling the Annual Appraisal of Bhatia Singhal said to him that “if you were career conscious then you should have not exposed the corruption”.
10. Pankaj Tripathi
SAIL management rewarded him with promotion in Mar 2025 to the post of the CGM/HQ. It has been gathered that although he was not allowed to enter any premises of SAIL, D[C] V S Chakravarthy visited Chennai Warehouse during his suspension period while visiting Tirupati Balaji. It was Tripathi who entertained him in Chennai while officiating as Regional Manager there.
11. Rajeev Ranjan Singh
As Branch Manager of Hyderabad, he was instrumental in supplying 8,000 Tonne of Plate Mill Plates at heavy discount to B2B commerce firm OFB Tech P Ltd (OfBusiness) [where M C Agarwal, the then ED (Sales & ITD) joined as Director after superannuation] in the name of Projects giving a hit of about Rs 5.0 Crores to SAIL. As per the invoices issued by SAIL, all the plates were shipped to Sudha Engineering. The chain of officers involved in the approval process included Rajeev Ranjan Singh – V Sasidhar - Vinod Gupta – N K Sharma - V S Chakravarty – M C Agarwal.
PESB selected V S Chakravarty as Director (Commercial) SAIL on Sep 21, 2021 and took charge on Dec 24, 2021, a couple of days after the wedding of his son at Hyderabad. As BM/Hyd, Singh played a critical role in making arrangements for the wedding function. Immediately Chakravarty brought him to his office at Delhi. Before superannuating in June 2025, Chakravarty promoted Singh to CGM March 2025, superseding many senior officers and in Dec 2025 management gave him the coveted post of Regional Manager of Northern Region with many senior officers reporting to him. Chakravarty also awarded him a foreign tour to Europe.
12. Rakesh Singh
SAIL management rewarded him with promotion in March 2025 to the post of the CGM.
13. Anil Arora
SAIL management rewarded him with promotion in March 2025 to the post of the Executive Director.
14. Rajender Kumar Shrivastav
SAIL management rewarded him with promotion in Jan 2022 to the post of the CGM. He superannuated in Aug 2025.
15. Ashish Kumar Dutta – Had retired otherwise would have been suspended after the LOKPAL Order
After playing a vital role in initiating supplies to Venkatesh and Avon, he superannuated in Jan 2021. Had he been in service at the time of LOKPAL order dated 10.01.2024, he would also have been suspended.
16. Ardhendu Kumar Behera
SAIL
management rewarded him with promotion in July 2024 to the post of the Chief General
Manager and Regional Manager of Eastern Region. It has been gathered that being
an Odiya officer, he has been very kind in terms of prices to the Odisha based
customers. Having spent about 18 years of his career at Bhubaneshwar, he is
supposed to have old relations with the customers of Odisha.
Soon, in the Part-3, officers of SAIL CMO below CGM level would be covered who are actively involved in sales to the FAKE Projects. Stay tuned to https://www.bureaugram.com
[The above article has been written based on extensive research and inputs from various sources including sources from SAIL. Sales figures are estimated based on inputs from various sources]
