The Siddapura police have registered an FIR against three Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) revenue officers for awarding a short-term contract to a one-month-old company to supply equipment and required materials for the Assembly elections in their constituency.
The police have also booked the owner of the company, My Homes Events, identified as Chandra Kumar.
The alleged fraud came to light when the same firm participated in another tender process through e-procurement and submitted the required documents. The BBMP officials verified the records to find that the firm did not qualify and rejected it for non-submission of proper documents as per the technical criteria.
According to sources in the BBMP, this was first flagged by Amlan Aditya Biswas, Regional Commissioner (RC), Bengaluru Division, after he found the alleged irregularity in the tender process. Mr. Biswas had also probed the voter data theft scam and filed a report to the Election Commission. Sources said Mr. Biswas had also written to BBMP about the fraud executed by two companies, including My Homes Events.
Quotation for webcasting
Explaining the alleged malpractice, sources said My Home Events secured a short-term quotation for webcasting after the tender process was finalised. Upon probing the background of the company, it was found that the address of the company which was mentioned in the quotation was false. The officials who were sent by Mr. Biswas to the address in Chamrajpet found no presence of any company in that location.
The sources further said the Electoral Roll Officer gave the quotation in violation of quotation guidelines. To participate in the webcasting tender, a company should have a minimum experience of webcasting in one general election and two assembly elections. This company was new and had no eligibility for participation.
A top BBMP official said after the same was brought to the notice and all quotations were cancelled and a probe was ordered.
Although the company has paid GST, it has not taken the required business licence from BBMP. Moreover, the address mentioned by the company is fake, the findings by the BBMP revealed. The revenue officials who have been accused in the case have allegedly colluded with Chandra Kumar to misuse the funds.
Further verification revealed that the firm was registered in February 2023, a month before it was awarded the short-term contract to supply required electronic equipment and material for the assembly elections in the south zone.
Contract awarded
Jagadish Naik, Joint Commissioner, South Zone, who conducted a probe, found that the three officials, identified as Nagabhushan N., ERO and revenue officer, Govindarajnagar Assembly constituency, Suresh, ERO and revenue officer Vijayanagar Assembly constituency and Nagaraj, ERO and revenue officer, Padmanabhanagar Assembly constituency, allegedly colluded with Chandra Kumar, owner of My Homes Events and awarded the contract under short-term quotations to provide equipment, such as electronic commissioning of EVMs, mustering, CCTV cameras, computers printers, scanners, photocopying machine, LEDs, TVs, software, web casting, internet, setting up check posts, security rooms, etc.
Based on the complaint, the police have registered an FIR against My Homes Events and its owner Chandra Kumar along with Nagabhushan, Suresh and Nagaraj, charging them with cheating, criminal breach of trust, disobeying the law and unlawful assembly. The police said notices will be issued to the accused.
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