Hyderabad: In a significant anti-corruption crackdown, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered a criminal case against multiple railway officials and a private construction firm for allegedly orchestrating a large-scale fraud in a track maintenance contract in Telangana.
According to the FIR filed by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) unit of the CBI in Hyderabad, the case stems from a preliminary enquiry conducted after a joint surprise inspection at Kazipet. The investigation uncovered a well-planned conspiracy between public servants of the South Central Railway and a private contractor, M/s Sandhya Constructions.
Fraud Through Fake Workforce and Forged Documents
The probe revealed that the contractor allegedly manipulated official records to claim payments for a full workforce while deploying significantly fewer workers on the ground. To support these claims, the accused reportedly submitted forged documents, including fake EPFO and ESI records, fabricated wage disbursement letters, and muster rolls containing duplicate or non-existent names.
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Investigators also found that several bank account details submitted for wage payments were either invalid or unrelated to actual workers. This enabled the accused to siphon off government funds while showing compliance on paper.
Railway Officials Accused of Collusion
Senior railway officials, including Section Engineers and track maintenance staff, have been named in the FIR. They are accused of certifying measurement books and attendance records without conducting physical verification of the work. In return, they allegedly received bribes and unauthorized payments from the contractor.
The role of these officials is being probed under provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act 1988 and relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code, including cheating, forgery, and criminal conspiracy.
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Safety Compromised, Government Suffered Loss
The alleged scam not only caused significant financial loss to the government but also raised serious concerns over railway safety. The contract in question was related to critical track maintenance work, where lapses could potentially endanger passenger safety.
Officials stated that the acts of omission and commission by the accused compromised the integrity of safety-related operations, making the case more गंभीर.
Legal Sanctions and Investigation
The case has been registered after obtaining necessary approvals from the Telangana government and the केंद्रीय authorities under the DSPE Act. The Railway Board also granted permission to investigate the role of the accused officials under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
The CBI has now initiated a full-scale investigation to determine the extent of the fraud, identify additional beneficiaries, and quantify the total financial loss caused to the exchequer.
Further action, including arrests and property attachments, is expected as the probe progresses.