Police officers investigating the Rs 352 crore BMC road works scam revealed that all contractors named in the scam were allegedly absconding. They said that even the two contractors who had been granted interim protection were absconding till they appeared in court to seek relief.
The Special Investigation Team (SIT) started its probe after the civic body on April 27 registered a FIR at Azad Maidan police station, naming six contractors including R.P.S. Infraprojects, Mahavir Infraprojects, R.K. Madhani, M/s Relcon Infra projects Ltd, J. Kumar, and K.R. Constructions. The FIR was registered, based on the report of an internal inquiry committee set up by BMC to inspect over 200 roads in the city.
Highly-placed sourced in the SIT revealed that owners and top officials of the said contracting firms were absconding. “We have summoned them three times for interrogation and inquiry but they have not appeared even once,” said an officer. Early on Wednesday, officials arrested Dipan Shah (47), director of M/s Relcon Infraprojects Ltd and booked him for cheating and forgery.
Two contractors — Jitendra Kikavat, managing director of top-ranking firm, Mahavir Road Infrastructure Pvt. Ltd., and Manish Kasliwal, director of K.R. Constructions — had applied for anticipatory bail but were granted interim protection and asked to appear before the police on July 20, 21, 22 and 23. “While the two contractors have moved court, they did not appear before us despite repeated summons. Currently, they have been granted interim protection and asked to cooperate with the investigation; we will see how that fares,” said the officer. He added that the other three contractors — R.K. Madhani, R.P.S. Infraprojects, and J. Kumar were not to be traced. “Our teams are looking for them but they are not at any of their known and given addresses,” he said.
