The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered a case against former officials of the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT), Tata Consulting Engineers (TCE), and two dredging firms over alleged irregularities exceeding Rs 800 crore in the Capital Dredging Project aimed at deepening shipping channels near Mumbai.

The case follows a three-year preliminary inquiry into claims of inflated project estimates, manipulation of the tender process to benefit international bidders, undue favours extended to contractors, and the concealment of findings from independent expert bodies.

According to the FIR, the CBI has named Sunil Kumar Madabhavi (then JNPT chief engineer), Devdutt Bose (former project director at TCE), Boskalis Smit India LLP, Jan De Nul Dredging India Pvt Ltd, and other unidentified public officials. They have been charged under IPC Sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy), 420 (cheating), and relevant sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The FIR was registered on Wednesday, following which the CBI conducted searches at five other locations in Mumbai and Chennai. The residence of Madabhavi Bose were also scrutinised under the probe.

FIR and discovery

“The allegations of pecuniary advantage obtained by the private companies as a result of abuse of official position by the JNPT officials resulting into a huge wrongful loss to the exchequer, spread over the period from 2003 to 2014 (phase-I of the project) and 2013 to 2019 (phase-II of the project) was also inquired,” the CBI said in the FIR.

The search revealed a number of documents relating to Capital Dredging Project, digital services and documents with proof of investments made by public servants, as per a CBI spokesperson. The recovered evidences are still under examination.

Outcome of inquiry

The investigation revealed a coordinated criminal conspiracy involving officials from JNPT, a representative of Tata Consulting Engineers, and other private individuals. This collusion allegedly led to extensive over-dredging during the Capital Dredging Project, causing significant financial damage to the port authority. Specifically, JNPT incurred wrongful losses of approximately Rs 365.90 crore in Phase I and Rs 438 crore in Phase II, amounting to a staggering total of over Rs 800 crore.