BHOPAL: The Enforcement Directorate’s raid on the premises of Raju Mentana Company and other places in connection with e-tendering scam may put the state government in a pickle. Raju Mentana has been the contractor of the Water Resources Department. A preliminary enquiry was registered during the previous BJP rule in August 2018. An FIR was registered in this case in April 2019. Two and a half years have passed since the FIR was registered, but the government has maintained silence over the probe.
As the Enforcement Directorate has begun to inquire into the matter, the Economic Offences Wing cannot afford to give a wide berth to the probe. Therefore, many questions about the e-tendering scam, linked to the previous BJP government, will come up. The ED officials may get information about the underhand dealings in the e-tendering scam from those who were involved in it. ED may also try to lay their hands on the information about whether the officers had entered into any underhand dealings with the company. As a result of the above probe, noose can be tightened around many people. The enforcement agency is inquiring into the money-laundering aspect of the scam.
According to sources, there was a major underhand dealing in e-tendering. An inquiry by ED will reveal the ins and outs of the case. The names of the same companies as involved in the e-tendering scam have been mentioned in the income-tax report related to the colleagues of former chief minister Kamal Nath. Sources say all these companies used to give funds to both the political parties. This aspect may come to light in ED probe.
The Congress used to slam the BJP for e-tendering scam. A few people were taken into custody during the Congress rule. If EOW takes further action, noose may be tightened around many officers found guilty of committing irregularities in floating tenders. The companies whose names figured in the e-tendering scam are still working on various projects in the state. If the probe agencies clamp down on these companies, the government projects are bound to suffer. In the preliminary inquiry by EOW, it came to light that the e-tendering scam actually took place. Therefore, many skeletons in the closet may tumble out during the ED probe.
