There are several allegations against Satish Agnihotri including misuse of official position and diverting funds to a private company.
Managing Director of National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) Satish Agnihotri has been dismissed from his post by the government following charges of corruption against him. A Lokpal court order has directed the CBI to probe corruption allegations against him. The Railways Board, in a letter to the NHSRCL on Thursday notified the termination.
Satish Agnihotri was in charge of the government's prestigious bullet train project running under NHSRCL.
Read | India's first high-speed Bullet Train to hit track by 2026, says Railway Minister - Know key facts
Why was Satish Agnihotri terminated?
There are several allegations against Satish Agnihotri, a 1982 batch IRSE officer (retired), including misuse of official position and diverting funds in an unauthorised manner to a private company.
A June 2, 2022, Lokpal court order, directed the CBI to probe charges of a 'quid pro quo' deal allegedly struck by him with a private company. This was done during his nine-year tenure as CMD of Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL).
The Lokpal court directed the investigating agency to ascertain whether any offence under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, is made out against Agnihotri.
The Lokpal court also asked the CBI to submit the probe report to their office within six months or before December 12, 2022.
Satish Agnihotri was with the Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) from 2010 to 2018 after which he retired. In July, 2021, he was called out of retirement and appointed managing director of the NHSRCL.
Within months of his appointment, on September 30, 2022, a complaint was lodged against him and another RVNL official at a Lokpal court alleging financial impropriety.
What are the charges against Satish Agnihotri?
The complaint alleged that Satish Agnihotri and the other official had misused their position and diverted Rs 1,100 crore in an unauthorised manner to Krishnapatnam Rail Company Limited (KRCL) from the funds received from the Ministry of Railways, the Indian Express quoted the complaint.
The Krishnapatnam Rail Company Limited, which is a private company is owned by the Navayuga Engineering Company Limited (NECL), in which Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) also has a stake.
It was also alleged that he awarded valuable, multi-thousand crore contracts to the NECL in a quid pro quo arrangement without waiting for the stipulated 'cool-off' period of one year.
The complaint also states that the company allotted him a house in Delhi and also awarded his daughter a job at the company in return for the contracts he awarded.
Agnihotri is also accused of having embezzled government funds by manipulating 'Performance Related Pay' metrics, such as by setting easy targets for PSUs to hit and securing an 'outstanding' rating to maximise the benefits under PRP.
(All the allegations are according to the complaint as reported by The Indian Express)
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 "Bullet train project MD Satish Agnihotri sacked")
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