The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered an FIR against the director of a Mumbai-based private company and unknown officials of the Meghalaya transport department for awarding a contract for the supply of High-Security Registration Plates (HSRPs) at an exorbitant rate.
As per reports, Nitin Shah, director of Shimnit Utsch India Pvt Ltd, and unknown officials of the transport department in Meghalaya have been named as the accused in the case.
In 2003 the Meghalaya government had floated a tender for the execution of the HSRPs scheme.
Three private companies based in Mumbai and New Delhi participated in the tender process.
Nitin Shah, in collaboration with officials of the Meghalaya transport department, allegedly rigged the tender process by submitting collusive bids through entities controlled by him.
“It was alleged that the work was awarded to Nitin Shah’s company at an exorbitant rate in 2005 and got approved by the Meghalaya government,” officials said.
The CBI on Tuesday conducted searches at various premises connected to the accused in Shillong, Delhi, Mumbai and Sirmaur in Himachal Pradesh.
The HSRP scheme for all the vehicles in India was introduced by the Central government in 2001.
The State governments were permitted to call tenders for approving rates for the supply of the plates and executing the implementation of work.