South Eastern Coalfields CMD arrested on graft charges by CBI

Chairman-cum-managing director of South Eastern Coalfields Limited (SECL), M P Dikshit was yesterday arrested by the CBI for allegedly accepting a sum of Rs1.30 crore in graft from two private firms, whose directors were also arrested.

The investigation agency has also seized Rs1.55 crore in cash from four lockers in connection with Dikshit's arrest.

According to the CBI it also arrested Vijender Singh, director of Bedford group of companies Bilaspur, his employee Sanjay Singh, Surojit Samanta, director of S K Samanta and company, Kolkata and his employee V N Singh under various sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

CBI spokesman Harsh Bhal said Dikshit had allegedly demanded Rs1 crore from the Bilaspur-based company, which the firm paid him for favours in certain matters.
 
Bhal added that for the purpose of receiving illegal gratification, Dikshit had asked the managing director of another private company dealing with SECL, to detail a Delhi-based employee of the firm to collect the money on his behalf. CMD also gave a pseudo name to the employee.

Bhal said that in the follow-up of the conspiracy an amount of Rs 80 lakh exchanged hands near a school in Saket in the evening of May 25.

He added the agency had conducted raids at five places in Delhi, Bilaspur and Raipur.

Bhal said that during investigation, it also came to light that earlier this month, Dikshit had also accepted an amount of about Rs 50 lakh through the same Delhi-based employee of the company, who acted as a courier, this time too.

Bhal said for recovering the amount four lockers were searched in Delhi and an amount of Rs1.55 crore had been seized. This was in addition to the amount of Rs 80 lakh transacted on 25 May, he added.