Mohta, Kumar face CBI cases

The CBI has registered three cases against Rakesh Kumar, a 1971-batch IFS officer, who retired some months ago, and Madhup Mohta of the 1985 batch for alleged financial irregularities during their tenure in the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR).

Three FIRs were filed against Kumar and Mohta under sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy), 420 (cheating) of the Indian Penal Code, 13(2) (criminal misconduct) and 13(i)(d) (abuse of official position) of the Prevention of Corruption Act in the special court here recently.

According to the CBI’s FIR, Kumar and Mohta, during their tenure as Director General and Deputy Director General of the ICCR, allegedly entered into a criminal conspiracy while awarding tenders for creation of ICCR’s website, preparing an interactive CD-Rom on highlights of India and Audio-Video material in Hindi language for a total cost of Rs 34 lakh in November 2004.

The CBI alleged in the FIR that Mohta, who is at present posted in the Indian High Commission at London, and Kumar, already charge-sheeted in a human-trafficking case, allegedly conspired for another two projects and gave tenders in an arbitrary manner to companies without following proper procedures. M/S Learning Link has also been named in the FIR by the CBI, the sources said.

In the second FIR, the CBI alleged that Mohta and Kumar allegedly conspired with some other firms in award of tender to prepare promotional audio-video clips for websites on theaters of India and on folk and classical dances in March 2005 for 18 lakh.

The third case related to making of a documentary film for which tenders were issued in March 2005. The total amount involved was Rs 30 lakh for making documentary films on folk theaters of South, West and Central India.