Fraud In PSU: CBI Files Five Cases Against HAL Officials

CBI alleges that Senior Manager Finance Bhaben Mitra conspired with other employees to misappropriate amounts by committing forgery of documents

New Delhi: Looks like the current phase of bad news for HAL is just far from getting over. The recent one has a CBI connection to it. For allegedly causing a loss of Rs 13.28 crore to Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed five cases against employees of the HAL Engine Division at Koraput, Odisha, officials said Wednesday. The CBI alleges that Senior Manager Finance Bhaben Mitra conspired with other employees to misappropriate amounts by committing forgery of documents to siphon off Rs 13.28 crore from the cash-strapped defense firm between 2013 to 2017.

"The agency has filed fresh cases against Mitra, other the other four allegedly involved in the scam, based on these complaints made by HAL's Vigilance Department on Tuesday"- CBI Sources

Maitra was placed under suspension last year. The CBI has also registered a case against Assistant (Finance/Accounts) Abinash Kumar Sarkar and several contractual employees, officials and a few contractors.

The alleged misappropriation reached new heights in 2017 when Rs 7.78 crore was siphoned off from the company using fake bills, officials said. The agency filed five different FIRs against the five employees in Koraput on Tuesday.

Mitra was booked earlier too

The CBI had booked Mitra in October too, for allegedly embezzling Rs 5 crore during January-August last year 2018 by submitting fake work orders, invoices, and bills. After the agency carried out searches, it found incriminating documents substantiating that the alleged cheating was happening for many years in state-run HAL.

Fresh cases registered

The agency has filed fresh cases against Mitra, other than other four allegedly involved in the scam, based on these complaints made by HAL's Vigilance Department on Tuesday, sources said.