Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has formally taken over the investigation into the Rs 184 crore fake bank guarantee scam linked to Madhya Pradesh Jal Nigam projects, after orders from the Madhya Pradesh High Court.
The FIR was registered on Friday by CBI Bhopal, and the probe has been handed over to DSP Deepak Purohit of the agency’s Anti-Corruption Branch.
The controversy dates back to March 20, 2023, when infrastructure firm Tirth Gopicon, involved in multiple Jal Nigam projects, submitted an e-bank guarantee of Rs 184 crore. The guarantee was allegedly issued by a nationalised bank's Baguihati branch in North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal. However, Jal Nigam later raised red flags, stating the document was fake, and issued a notice to the company.
Tirth Gopicon then filed a petition in the High Court, claiming it was the victim and held the bank responsible for the fraudulent guarantee. The same complaint had earlier been filed by the company at Raoji Bazaar police station in Indore.
Following the petition, a bench of Chief Justice Suresh Kumar Kait and Justice Vivek Jain directed the CBI to probe the matter and determine whether the company was guilty or had itself been duped. The agency has been asked to submit its detailed report to the court by June 30.
The CBI FIR invokes IPC sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy), 420 (cheating), 467 (forgery), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating), and 471 (using forged document as genuine). The probe is expected to scrutinise roles of both company and issuing bank.
The Case
Amount involved: Rs 184 crore
Under scanner: Tirth Gopicon
Bank branch: Baguihati, West Bengal
CBI unit handling probe: ACB, Bhopal
Court deadline for report: June 30, 2025
Key IPC sections: 120-B, 420, 467, 468, 471
