The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered a case against Rajni Kant Agrawal, former chairman and managing director (CMD) of WAPCOS (Water and Power Consultancy Services), under the Jal Shakti Ministry, for alleged financial irregularities, people aware of the developments said.
The federal anti-corruption probe agency took up the matter on the basis of a reference from the Jal Shakti Ministry. Jal Shakti Union Minister C R Patil has given mandatory prior approval under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act to the CBI to initiate an investigation against Agrawal, the officials said.
According to the CBI’s First Information Report (FIR), which was filed on April 30 and seen by HT, the allegations include payment of his son’s university fees and air travel expenses by project managers from different offices of WAPCOS and NPCC (National Projects Corporation Limited), another central public sector undertaking.
“Manan Agrawal, son of RK Agrawal, completed his studies from Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, where fees for the period 2018 to 2022 were paid by Project Managers in different offices of WAPCOS Ltd and NPCC. The cost of air ticket to and from the travel of son RK Agrawal from Delhi to Chennai while traveling on holidays, festivals etc was paid by Project Manager in different offices of WAPCOS Ltd and NPCC,” the FIR stated.
Elaborating on specific cases, the CBI said an amount $2.5 lakh was paid to Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT) towards tuition, hostel and advance fees of Manan Agrawal by the WAPCOS office in Chandigarh.
“It is also alleged that there were several other instances of payment of fees online or through Demand Draft mode, in respect of Manan Agrawal from May 16, 2018 to January 8, 2022, amounting to Rs. $A total of $11,26,730, the agency said, was suspected to be unidentified officials of WAPCOS and NPCC or other private sector persons.
Apart from RK Agrawal, the FIR also named “unknown officials” of WAPCOS and NPCC in the list of accused.
