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The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered a corruption case against a former Senior Accounts Officer/Deputy Manager of Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL), Kothagudem, Telangana, and three private individuals in connection with a GST fraud of over Rs 68 lakh, an official said on Friday, November 7.
The case was registered based on a complaint from the Chief Vigilance Officer (CVO) of BHEL, alleging irregularities in payments at the 1x800 MW Stage-VII Unit 12 Thermal Power Project in Kothagudem.
According to the complaint, the accused, G Siva Nageswara Rao, while serving as Senior Accounts Officer/Deputy Manager, allegedly diverted GST input credits belonging to three private firms — M/s Shankaranarayana Constructions Pvt Ltd (SNCPL), M/s Power Mech Projects Ltd (PMPL), and M/s Vasavi Electro Systems Pvt Ltd (VESPL) — to unrelated subcontractors and misappropriated the funds.
Searches were conducted at six locations across Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, during which the agency seized incriminating documents, the CBI said in a statement.
The FIR, based on a complaint by Shiv Pal Singh, IFS, Chief Vigilance Officer, alleged that the accused forged a letter purportedly issued by SNCPL to enable the illegal release and diversion of BHEL-held funds to co-accused Somireddy Marakala, Ramakrishna, and Srinivas Rao Raav.
The preliminary enquiry, according to the CBI, revealed a clear pattern of fraudulent activity and criminal collusion between the public servant and private individuals. The agency also detected suspicious transactions worth Rs 68 lakh in the accounts of Rao and his family members, indicating possible criminal misappropriation.
The CBI registered the FIR on Thursday, invoking charges of criminal conspiracy, cheating, forgery, and misappropriation of public funds against Rao and the three co-accused.