Raipur: The Economic Offences Wing and Anti-Corruption Bureau (EOW/ACB) of Chhattisgarh on Monday arrested seven directors and representatives of manpower agencies in connection with an alleged Rs 115 crore overtime payment scam at the Chhattisgarh State Marketing Corporation Limited (CSMCL), officials confirmed.
Details of the Arrests
The arrests were made under Crime No. 44/2024, registered under sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (as amended in 2018), and relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code concerning forgery, use of forged documents, and criminal conspiracy.
According to the EOW/ACB, investigations revealed that between the financial years 2019-20 and 2023-24, approximately Rs 115 crore was paid to manpower agencies under the guise of overtime. While the funds were intended for workers, officials alleged that fake and inflated bills were systematically prepared to siphon off the money.
Modus Operandi
Investigators suspect that instead of reaching employees, a large portion of the amount was distributed as commissions among CSMCL officials, private individuals, and manpower agency operators, while the companies themselves retained a significant share.
The EOW/ACB noted that bills submitted by the manpower agencies lacked transparency regarding actual overtime work, employee attendance, and payments made. Prima facie, the agency stated that government funds were irregularly withdrawn through fake and inflated bills, causing serious financial loss to the state.
List of Accused
The arrested individuals have been identified as:
- Neeraj Kumar Chaudhary, financial and tax consultant of Eagle Inter Solutions Ltd and Alert Commands Pvt Ltd
- Ajay Lohia, director of Alert Commands Pvt Ltd
- Ajit Dandale, director of Sumit Facilities Company
- Amit Prabhakar Salunke, director of Sumit Facilities Ltd
- Amit Mittal, chairman and director of A to Z Infraservices Ltd
- Rajeev Dwivedi, director of Prime One Workforce Pvt Ltd
- Sanjeev Jain, director of Prime One Workforce Pvt Ltd
Background of the Case
The FIR was registered after the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) Raipur office, during an earlier action on November 29, 2023, seized Rs 28.80 lakh in cash from three persons and shared the information with the state government for further action.
All seven accused were produced before the special court on Monday and remanded in police custody until May 11. Officials stated they will be questioned on fake billing, illegal commission distribution, the final use of funds, beneficiaries, and the role of other persons linked to the alleged scam.
Ongoing Investigation
Further investigation is underway to uncover additional details and identify other individuals involved in the scheme.
