‘Players & Middlemen’ In OSL-Paradip Port Bribery Scandal; Know What CBI FIR Says

Bhubaneswar: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Saturday arrested Charchit Mishra, who is the son of Cuttack-based industrialist Mahimananda Mishra and Orissa Stevedores Limited (OSL) director in the alleged bribery scandal.

This came a day after the arrest of chief mechanical engineer of Paradip Port Trust (PPT) Saroj Kumar Das, his associate Sumanta Rout, manager, port operations of Kolkata-based KCT Group Sankha Subhra Mitra and DGM (operations) of OSL Surya Narayan Sahu.

According to the CBI FIR, Das allegedly demanded and received bribes frequently for extending benefits to private parties engaged in services and activities at the port. Rout acted as the middleman to collect the bribe money. The engineer is also accused of extending undue favours to various private individuals, firms and companies like OSL for the transport of cargo and related works at Paradip Port. Mitra was reportedly acting as a middleman between Rout and other cargo companies.

Also Read: Bribery Case: CBI Arrests Odisha Industrialist Mahima Mishra’s Son

Mitra had also directly met Das in his office for deciding the bribe amount, the release said.

There were also serious financial irregularities in the repair and replacement of a conveyor belt of PPT, which was allegedly damaged by OSL while unloading cargo. “Repairing the same would have cost OSL crores of rupees. Das in conspiracy with Rout, Mitra and Charchit got it repaired at the cost of port trust, causing huge monetary advantage to the Cuttack-based firm. In lieu of the favour, Rout after consulting Das had demanded Rs 60 lakh bribe from OSL,” the CBI said.

While Rout had been reminding Mitra about the non-payment of the decided bribe amount by the firm, the latter contacted
OSL’s DGM Operations, pursuing for early payment of Rs 60 lakh, it added.

On July 31, Mitra informed Rout that the payment would be made at Cuttack. Sahu also informed Debapriya Mohanty about the delivery of bribe money soon and instructed him to convey the same to Rout.

Three days later, Mohanty informed Rout that the bribe amount was ready and he should go and collect it from Cuttack office.
Sahu also conveyed the same to Rout, who when reached Cuttack was asked to meet Tausif. Rout informed Mitra that he
had received Rs 25 lakh of which he would be keeping Rs 10 lakh separately for themselves.

‘Thereafter, he proceeded to Bhubaneshwar and concealed the amount at his acquaintance’s house and handed over Rs
10 lakh to Sisir Kumar Das, a real estate developer with whom Das had booked a property,” the FIR added.

They have been booked under Section 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of IPC, and 7,8,9, 10 and 12 of the Prevention of Corruption Act.