Graft case: CBI court accepts closure report in graft case involving brigadier

The special CBI court in Mohali accepted the closure report filed by the investigating agency in a corruption case involving a brigadier in a 2021 case.

CBI anti-crime branch on December 22, 2021, booked Brigadier Narender Kumar besides Rochak Agro Foods Products Private Ltd, Kolkata, the company’s managing director Ghanshyam Choudhary, his son Shubham Choudhary and others under relevant sections of Prevention of Corruption Act and for criminal conspiracy.

It was alleged that the Brigadier working as group commander, NCC Group HQ, Ludhiana, indulged in corrupt practices and he, by influencing the field officers and other armed forces, demanded and accepted a bribe from a private supplier, M/s Rochak Agro Foods Products Private Ltd, Kolkata, in the matter of procurement of ration/food items for defence establishments and their canteen/stores.

Anmol Narang, public prosecutor, CBI, submitted that during the investigation, the allegations levelled in the FIR could not be substantiated and thus prayed for acceptance of the closure report.

The investigation conducted by the probe agency supported by the documents collected during the investigation, revealed that the alleged period of commission of offences pertained to postings of Kumar at group headquarters NCC, Ludhiana (2017-2019) and during his previous posting at Eastern Command, Kolkata (prior to 2017).

To prove his suspected link with another officer, to whom he influenced for the award of contracts, the CDRs of the mobile number of the Brigadier or the officers whom he had contacted were required. CBI submitted that the nodal officer of the concerned service providers of Jio and Airtel expressed inability to provide the same as the CDR data was more than two years old.

It further transpired that Rajni Kumar and Jayant Kumar, whose name emerged during probe, were appointed by M/s Rochak Agro Foods Products Pvt Ltd, to work for their company for online tendering. The amounts received in the bank accounts of both of them were claimed as salary and other expenses. CBI further added that after going through the email accounts of individuals and the Rochak Agro Food Products Pvt Ltd no incriminating evidence was found.

CBI submitted, “As far as tendering/contract of supply of items by M/s Rochak Agro Food Products Pvt. Ltd, to NCC, Ludhiana and Eastern Command, Kolkata, are concerned, both these authorities have confirmed vide letters dated November 15, 2023 and December 7, 2023, respectively that Rochak Agro is not registered with headquarters, Eastern Command, for contracts of supplies during the period 2016-2019 and no contracts have been concluded with this firm. All supplies as and when received, are being checked in terms of quality as well as quantity by a separate board of officers before being taken on charge. Hence, there is no question of influencing the junior officers of the office of Brigadier Narender Kumar during his posting at Eastern Command”.

Accepting the closure report, the court of Rakesh Kumar Gupta, special judge, CBI, Punjab, observed, “In view of the above detailed and thorough investigation conducted by the Premier Agency and the facts revealed there-from, the court is of the opinion that there is no evidence at all, much-less than sufficient, to proceed against any of the persons named in the FIR. As such, the final/untraced report submitted by the CBI in the case is accepted for the time being. The prosecution agency will be at liberty to further investigate the matter, if some fresh material is found against any culprit, in future”.