CBI files status report in Dubey murder case

New Delhi, Aug 11 (UNI) The CBI today told the Supreme Court that there were no specific allegations against anybody in the PIL seeking directions to the CBI to investigate the involvement of vested interests in the murder of an engineer Satyendra Dubey who had exposed rampant corruption in the Golden Quadrilateral National Highway project in Bihar.

Solicitor General G E Vahanvati told a bench comprising Justices C K Thakker and Markandey Katju that CBI was prepared to investigate from any angle if specific allegations were made in the PIL filed by Parivartan, an NGO.

Prashant Bhushan, counsel for the petitioner however contended that he had given a list containing specific allegations and that the CBI was shielding the real culprits involved in the murder of Dubey who was shot dead in Gaya, Bihar on November 27,2003 for allegedly exposing the corruption by reporting the matter to the then Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee whose dream project was the victim of corruption. Dubey was Project manager in the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) project worth about Rs. one lakh crores.

Bhushan also told the court that it was not a simple case of murder but it was case where a young engineer had to pay with his life for exposing corruption to the tune of over Rs. 100 crores.

The deceased had allegedly written to the then Prime Minister alleging that Rs. 100 crores have already been paid to the contractors without any work having been done and there was a nexus between the officials of NHAI and contractors and Dubey had requested to keep his identity secret for fear of reprisals. His identity was, however, scandalously revealed and he was shot dead in the early hours on the fateful day.

CBI status report however confirms corruption and the report states that the M/s Larsen and Toubro which was given the contract has sub- contracted the same to some other contractor and sub standard material has been used in the project. Case under the Prevention of Corruption Act was registered. Explanations were sought from the then Project Director,NHAI S K Soni, the then resident engineer retired Brig Satish Kapoor and J Ganguly, the vice president of M/s/ L&T. The expert committee confirmed the allegations and the investigation is still continuing in the case.

Only four accused were arrested in Dubey murder case one of them has been granted pardon after he became an approver in the case.

The court adjourned the hearing of the case till next month.

UNI AKS/SC RP VC1830