In a coordinated operation, the state Economic Offences Wing (EOW) and the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Monday arrested seven directors and representatives of manpower agencies in connection with the alleged Rs 115 crore overtime payment scam at the Chhattisgarh State Marketing Corporation Limited (CSMCL). Officials confirmed the arrests, which are part of an ongoing investigation into large-scale financial irregularities.
Details of the Arrests
The arrests were made under a case registered under sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (as amended in 2018) and relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita related to forgery, use of forged documents, and criminal conspiracy. According to the investigating agencies, the probe revealed that between the financial years 2019-20 and 2023-24, approximately Rs 115 crore was disbursed to manpower agencies under the guise of overtime payments. These funds were intended for workers, but officials allege that fake and inflated bills were systematically prepared to siphon off the money.
How the Scam Operated
Investigators suspect that instead of reaching the employees, a large portion of the amount was distributed as commission among CSMCL officials, private individuals, and manpower agency operators. The companies themselves retained a significant share of the funds. The agencies noted that bills submitted by the manpower agencies lacked transparency regarding actual overtime work, employee attendance, and payments made to workers. Prima facie, it appears that government funds were irregularly withdrawn through fraudulent billing, causing serious financial loss to the state.
List of Accused
The seven arrested individuals are:
- 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
The case was initiated after the Enforcement Directorate's Raipur office, during an earlier raid 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.
Judicial Proceedings
All seven accused were produced before the special court on Monday and remanded to police custody until May 11. Officials stated that they will be questioned on several aspects, including fake billing, illegal commission distribution, the ultimate use of funds, beneficiaries, and the role of other individuals linked to the alleged scam. The investigation is expected to uncover more details about the network involved in this large-scale fraud.
