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Soma Mondal completing term as Member, PESB while evading CBI investigation
It sounds strange, but is true that Ms Soma Mondal, who joined the Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB) as Member on May 1, 2023, is completing her three-year term in May 2026 while evading the investigations of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) against her.
Ms Soma Mondal joined the PESB soon after her tenure as Chairperson, Steel Authority of India came to an end in 2023. As per data available and sources, the Central Bureau of Investigation had initiated investigation into the financial irregularities during her tenure.
Despite being aware of ongoing investigations against her, the Government of India, which claims to be working in line “Zero-Tolerance against Corruption”, appointed her as Member of Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB) for selecting Board members to various Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs). It is a complete mockery and with her coming public has lost faith in PESB.
The summary of the case as follows: on November 17, 2022, a whistleblower, who is also an officer in the company, Rajeev Bhatia had sent an email to Ms Soma Mondal, the then Chairman, SAIL and V S Chakarvarty, the then Director (Commercial) of SAIL highlighting financial irregularities of about Rs. 300 crores committed by senior management personnel in the supply of steel products to M/s Venkatesh Infra Projects Pvt. Ltd., M/s Avon Steel Industries Pvt Ltd and M/s Hi-Tech Pipes Ltd. (Group).
Smelling that their role would be under scanner, both Ms Soma Mondal and Chakarvarty, instead of ordering investigation, not only buried the email under the carpet but suspended the whistle blower without assigning any reason whatsoever.
On learning that no action is being taken, Bhatia sent the complaints to the PMO on December 1, 2023 (PMOPG/D/2022/0275053). The PMO forwarded it to SAIL but Ms Mondal once again dust binned the letter in order to protect the accused. Bhatia took two more attempts by lodging the same complaints on CPRRAMS Portal PMOPG/E/2023/0000665 dated January 1, 2023 and PMOPG/E/2023/0010256 dated January 11, 2023. However, on both the occasions they were buried by Soma Mondal. Not only complaints were deliberately ignored but as Head of SAIL, no steps were taken by her to stop further losses.
Finally, Bhatia decided to lodge the complaints with LOKPAL of India. Lokpal found substantial substance in the complaints and vide its order dated January 10, 2024 preferred CBI inquiry in the matter of M/s Venkatesh Infra Projects Pvt Ltd and M/s Avon Steel Industries Pvt Ltd. It is noteworthy here that although the matter before LOKPAL was against her and not against SAIL, still she made SAIL pay for the legal expenses for defending her before LOKPAL. Although it is a different matter that in-spite of engaging highly paid legal luminaries, she could not get a favourable order from LOKPAL.
https://lokpalonline.gov.in/lokpalonline/cdn/web_upload/CN73,74and752023_1705052862.pdf
Soon after the above order, 29 officers of SAIL were suspended on January 19, 2024.
Soma Mondal who got superannuated from SAIL on April 30, 2023 and appointed as Member, Public Enterprises Selection Board(PESB) by PMO on May 1, 2023, approached Delhi High Court on July 22, 2024 for quashing the order dated January 10, 2024 of Lokpal and staying the CBI investigations against her.
It is astonishing that she has been able to obtain a stay from Delhi High Court when there are judgements from Supreme Court of India that CBI investigations should not be stayed.
As a Member PESB, her job is to select CMDs and Directors of Public Enterprises. A person evading CBI investigation is assigned the job of selecting CMDs and Directors of our Public Enterprises, whom Nehru used to call Temples of Modern India.
With the widening of Lokpal/CBI investigations, it is expected that she will once again be under the scanner of investigation agencies.
The matter is scheduled for hearing on February 12, 2026 in the High Court. All eyes on the judgement of the court whether the court vacates the stay or not. Click here for related story:
Ms Soma Mondal joined the PESB soon after her tenure as Chairperson, Steel Authority of India came to an end in 2023. As per data available and sources, the Central Bureau of Investigation had initiated investigation into the financial irregularities during her tenure.
Despite being aware of ongoing investigations against her, the Government of India, which claims to be working in line “Zero-Tolerance against Corruption”, appointed her as Member of Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB) for selecting Board members to various Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs). It is a complete mockery and with her coming public has lost faith in PESB.
The summary of the case as follows: on November 17, 2022, a whistleblower, who is also an officer in the company, Rajeev Bhatia had sent an email to Ms Soma Mondal, the then Chairman, SAIL and V S Chakarvarty, the then Director (Commercial) of SAIL highlighting financial irregularities of about Rs. 300 crores committed by senior management personnel in the supply of steel products to M/s Venkatesh Infra Projects Pvt. Ltd., M/s Avon Steel Industries Pvt Ltd and M/s Hi-Tech Pipes Ltd. (Group).
Smelling that their role would be under scanner, both Ms Soma Mondal and Chakarvarty, instead of ordering investigation, not only buried the email under the carpet but suspended the whistle blower without assigning any reason whatsoever.
On learning that no action is being taken, Bhatia sent the complaints to the PMO on December 1, 2023 (PMOPG/D/2022/0275053). The PMO forwarded it to SAIL but Ms Mondal once again dust binned the letter in order to protect the accused. Bhatia took two more attempts by lodging the same complaints on CPRRAMS Portal PMOPG/E/2023/0000665 dated January 1, 2023 and PMOPG/E/2023/0010256 dated January 11, 2023. However, on both the occasions they were buried by Soma Mondal. Not only complaints were deliberately ignored but as Head of SAIL, no steps were taken by her to stop further losses.
Finally, Bhatia decided to lodge the complaints with LOKPAL of India. Lokpal found substantial substance in the complaints and vide its order dated January 10, 2024 preferred CBI inquiry in the matter of M/s Venkatesh Infra Projects Pvt Ltd and M/s Avon Steel Industries Pvt Ltd. It is noteworthy here that although the matter before LOKPAL was against her and not against SAIL, still she made SAIL pay for the legal expenses for defending her before LOKPAL. Although it is a different matter that in-spite of engaging highly paid legal luminaries, she could not get a favourable order from LOKPAL.
https://lokpalonline.gov.in/lokpalonline/cdn/web_upload/CN73,74and752023_1705052862.pdf
Soon after the above order, 29 officers of SAIL were suspended on January 19, 2024.
Soma Mondal who got superannuated from SAIL on April 30, 2023 and appointed as Member, Public Enterprises Selection Board(PESB) by PMO on May 1, 2023, approached Delhi High Court on July 22, 2024 for quashing the order dated January 10, 2024 of Lokpal and staying the CBI investigations against her.
It is astonishing that she has been able to obtain a stay from Delhi High Court when there are judgements from Supreme Court of India that CBI investigations should not be stayed.
As a Member PESB, her job is to select CMDs and Directors of Public Enterprises. A person evading CBI investigation is assigned the job of selecting CMDs and Directors of our Public Enterprises, whom Nehru used to call Temples of Modern India.
With the widening of Lokpal/CBI investigations, it is expected that she will once again be under the scanner of investigation agencies.
The matter is scheduled for hearing on February 12, 2026 in the High Court. All eyes on the judgement of the court whether the court vacates the stay or not. Click here for related story:
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