The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) has lodged a prosecution complaint in a special PMLA court in Guwahati involving former National Project Construction Corporation (NPCC) officials and private contractors. The case is related to alleged bribery and money laundering concerning border infrastructure contracts valued at approximately Rs 60.30 crore. Among those named in the complaint are Rakesh Mohan Kotwal, Latiful Pasha, Anish Baid, and Binod Singhi.
The contracts under scrutiny were awarded by NPCC on behalf of the Border Security Force for constructing nine Border Out Posts along the Indo-Bangladesh border. The ED’s investigation was initiated following an FIR by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which had previously filed a charge sheet against nine individuals in November 2021 under relevant laws.
Allegedly, Kotwal and Pasha demanded an illicit gratification of around Rs 33 lakh, eventually settling at Rs 30 lakh, from a contractor to clear pending bills worth about Rs 2.24 crore. The probe uncovered that Rs 25 lakh was transferred through hawala channels across Silchar, Guwahati, and Delhi. Part of the funds was channeled through bank accounts to a distributor firm, converted into cash, and delivered in Delhi, where the CBI intercepted the transaction in July 2019.
Moreover, an alleged sum of Rs 15 lakh, suspected to be proceeds of crime, was seized from a showroom in Silchar as per instructions from one of the accused. The ED mentioned that evidence suggests similar bribe demands were made from other contractors as well, with investigations ongoing into the matter.
