New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has initiated legal action against Hyderabad-based Megha Engineering and Infrastructure Ltd (MEIL), the top donor to the BJP with contributions amounting to Rs 586 crore in electoral bonds, over an alleged bribery scandal.
The FIR, filed by the CBI, implicates eight officials from the National Integrated Steel Plant (NISP) and National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC), along with two MECON officials. Allegations suggest that these officials accepted bribes totaling Rs 78 lakh to expedite clearance of MEIL’s bills worth Rs 174 crore, pertaining to projects associated with Chhattisgarh’s Jagdalpur integrated steel plant.
Electoral bond data released by the Election Commission, following a Supreme Court directive, reveals that MEIL was the second-largest purchaser of electoral bonds, amounting to Rs 966 crore. Besides its contributions to the BJP, the company also donated Rs 195 crore to the BRS, Rs 85 crore to DMK, and Rs 37 crore to YSRCP. Additional sums were provided to TDP, Congress, JD-S, Jana Sena Party, and JD-U.
The CBI initiated a preliminary inquiry on August 10, 2023, regarding alleged bribery linked to a Rs 315 crore project concerning the NMDC’s integrated steel plant in Jagdalpur, awarded to MEIL. Subsequently, a regular case was recommended on March 18, 2024, based on the findings of the preliminary inquiry, leading to the filing of the FIR on March 31.
The FIR identifies eight officials from NISP and NMDC Ltd, including retired executive director Prashant Dash, director (production) D K Mohanty, deputy general manager P K Bhuyan, D M Naresh Babu, senior manager Subro Banerjee, retired CGM (finance) L Krishna Mohan, general manager (finance) K Rajshekhar, and manager (finance) Somnath Ghosh, alleged recipients of Rs 73.85 lakh in bribes.
