Two businessmen jailed over forged bills given to IAF during Kargil war

A Delhi Court has sentenced owners of two private firms to four years in jail for dishonestly inducing officials of Indian Air Force pay and accounts office to make inflated payments on the basis of forged bills relating to the supply of papers and welding electrodes during the 1999 Kargil War.

A Delhi Court has sentenced owners of two private firms to four years in jail for dishonestly inducing officials of Indian Air Force pay and accounts office to make inflated payments on the basis of forged bills relating to the supply of papers and welding electrodes during the 1999 Kargil War.

The court noted that Mukesh Gupta and Naveen Kumar Jain have caused wrongful loss to the public exchequer to the tune of over Rs 12 lakh.

Special Judge Rajender Kumar Shastri also imposed cost of Rs 3 lakh each on the two, observing that they have “succeeded in their task by either active involvement or at least negligence of officials of departments concerned” in the Indian Air force.

Pursuant to a complaint made on August 22, 2001, CBI had filed an FIR against dismissed Air Force officer, Flight Lieutenant K M Arjun, and two private companies on charges of conspiring to cause a loss to the public exchequer. However, CBI did not find sufficient evidence to prosecute Arjun.

The court noted that Gupta, being an active director of Delhi Paper Products Co Pvt Ltd (DPPCL), claimed and received payment of 7,000 ream of five types of duplicating paper, while supplying only 950 reams.

According to CBI, this resulted in the loss of Rs 8,83,168 to the state exchequer.

Gupta, the CBI said, also supplied 750 reams of photocopier paper in place of 7,500 reams, causing loss of Rs 5,25,469 of public money and consequential benefits to himself.

Meanwhile Jain, the director of Daya Chand Engineering Industries Pvt Ltd (DCEIL), claimed and received payment of 13,40,000 pieces of electrodes from the Indian Air force, while actually only 1,340 pieces were supplied by him, the CBI said.

The court, however, acquitted then Group Captain S P S Rajkumar – working at Tughlakabad Air Force Station in Delhi – who was accused of entering into a criminal conspiracy with DPPCL and the DCEIL to cheat the government while purchasing duplicating papers, photocopying papers and welding electrodes in 1999.

The court noted that there is no evidence at all to establish a nexus between Rajkumar and the other accused. “There is nothing to show any meeting of mind between them for purpose of cheating or forgery of documents,” the court noted in its 90-page order.

Newsletter

Prime Minister Modi inaugurates Atal Tunnel - longest tunnel above 10000 ft

Ladakh: The Prime Minister today inaugurated the Atal Tunnel and took the inaugural drive through in the 9km long tunnel...

Orissa High Court Order regarding migrant workers entry into Orissa put on hold by the Supreme Court

The Orissa High Court order to permit the entry of migrant workers only if they tested Negative for COVID-19 was put on...

Coronavirus Lockdown - First Flights To Bring Back Indians Stranded Abroad Land In Kerala

On Monday, the central government announced plans to begin a massive repatriation of its citizens stranded abroad, dubbe...

Reacting to Trump's retaliation threat India allows Hydroxychloroquine export

In a move after Trump's threat to retaliate if India fails to send medicines, India has lifted ban of export of ess...

All Domestic Passenger Flights Suspended from Midnight Tomorrow

The operations of all domestic schedule commercial airlines will stop operations from 23.59pm on March 24, a government...

Iran says it ‘unintentionally’ shot down Ukrainian plane, blames ‘human error’

Iran had denied for several days that a missile downed the aircraft. But then the US and Canada, citing intelligence, sa...