The Maharashtra Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), in its report into the 2010 bomb suit scam, named a senior police officer, as well as a senior government official for wrongdoings in the process of payment.
The scam had come to light in 2010 when the Maharashtra government filed a complaint with the ACB to look into the payment of `6 crore in cash to civilian supplier Bimal Agarwal to supply bombproof suits for the bomb detection and disposal squad (BDDS). The ACB recorded statements of several police, as well as government officers, and during inquiries, several reasons have been cited for the payment of money before the goods were delivered.
A high-ranking official with the Maharashtra government confirmed to this newspaper that IPS officer Shrikant Sarwade, who then held a DIG level post with the Maharashtra DG office, is under the scanner, along with a senior official with the government. The two are suspected to have facilitated the money payment to Agarwal.
Police sources said Sanjeev Dayal, ACB director-general, sent the report to K. Subramaniam, director general, Maharashtra police, earlier this week. When contacted, Mr Dayal declined comment, saying only the Maharashtra government could speak on the matter. Mr Subramaniam, however, confirmed that he had received the report, but added that he was yet to go through it when asked about the people named in it.
Additional chief secretary (home) Umeshchandra Sarangi further confirmed the receipt of the report, saying, “Agarwal was given the task of procuring and supplying American bomb suits to the police, however, he neither supplied the suits, nor is there any record of him renewing the contract, and was still paid money for the same.”