BJP donor firm named in Rs 400 crore SAIL Steel scam; CBI acts on Lokpal’s order
New Delhi: A company that donated Rs 30 crore to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) via electoral bonds is at the center of a major scam involving the Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL). According to a detailed investigation by The Wire, APCO Infratech Pvt Ltd has been named in a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) FIR filed in October 2024, based on findings by the Lokpal and the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC). The scam involves the illegal procurement and resale of subsidized steel worth over Rs 400 crore.
The CBI FIR alleges that APCO Infratech issued a fraudulent work experience certificate to Venkatesh Infra Projects Pvt Ltd (VIPPL), a shell company incorporated just a week before it signed a Memorandum of Understanding with SAIL in October 2020. This certificate falsely claimed that VIPPL had participated in 11 large infrastructure projects as a subcontractor under APCO – a claim later found to be fabricated.
The Wire’s Hindi report by journalist Ankit Raj, translated by Naushin Rehman, provides documentary evidence from the FIR, Lokpal's directions, and CVC findings, showing that VIPPL used this false credential to procure steel from SAIL at highly subsidized rates under the “Project MoU Scheme,” and then sold it in the open market for profit.
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) later confirmed to the CVC that VIPPL had no role in the projects listed. Despite this, SAIL officials approved the MoU without verifying the authenticity of the documents, enabling VIPPL to purchase over 1.1 million tonnes of steel meant for legitimate infrastructure projects.
Interestingly, between 2020 and 2023, APCO purchased electoral bonds worth Rs 30 crore – all of which were encashed by the BJP. During this same period, APCO was also awarded several infrastructure contracts by government agencies.
The whistleblower in the case, Rajiv Bhatia, a former SAIL marketing officer, raised internal alarms and eventually approached the Prime Minister’s Office. He was suspended in 2022 and later prematurely retired, even as other officials suspended in connection with the scam were reinstated after the 2024 General Elections.
The Lokpal in its January 2024 order observed: “There is prima facie material on record to indicate lack of due diligence on the part of the concerned officers of SAIL. Possible connivance of some officials with M/s VIPPL cannot be ruled out.”
SAIL has denied that any financial loss occurred and maintained that VIPPL was a legitimate dealer. However, the CVC and Lokpal reports sharply contradict this claim, pointing to coordinated fraud involving forged documentation and insider cooperation.
The CBI has begun further investigations into other companies and officials allegedly involved in similar fraudulent MoUs with SAIL.
This story is based on an original investigative report published in Hindi by The Wire, reported by Ankit Raj and translated by Naushin Rehman.
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7 cops, 2 others hurt in violence in Chhattisgarh village as out on bail man, aides attack locals
Gariaband (Chhattisgarh) (PTI): Seven cops and two villagers were injured in stone-pelting and violence that erupted in a village in Chhattisgarh's Gariaband district after a vandalism case accused out on bail, along with two others, went on an attack spree, police said on Monday.
The out on bail accused and his two associates allegedly assaulted four persons at different locations, one of them a witness in a 2024 temple desecration case. Following these assaults, an enraged mob of hundreds of villagers from a particular community attacked and torched over half a dozen houses of people from another community on Sunday evening in Dutkaiyya village under the Rajim police station area, they said.
Three men -- Arif Qureshi (18) and Salim Khan (23) -- residents of Dutkaiyya, and Imran Siddiqui (18) of Raipur allegedly assaulted four persons in Dutkaiyya, adjoining Bakli village under Rajim police station limits, and Basin village under Fingeshwar police station limits on Sunday morning, a police official said.
They also looted mobile phones from two of the victims, he said.
Following the assaults, villagers lodged three FIRs at the Rajim police station and one at Fingeshwar police station. The trio was arrested by around 6 pm on Sunday, he said.
However, later in the evening, hundreds of residents of Dutkaiyya and nearby villages allegedly gathered and attacked houses belonging to members of the minority community, including the home of Qureshi, he said.
Over half a dozen houses were vandalised and set on fire, and some vehicles were also torched. Two members of the minority community were injured in the attacks, he said.
When a police team, including senior officials, reached the spot to control the situation, they were allegedly attacked with stones and sticks by the mob. As many as seven police personnel were injured in attacks by sticks and stones, he said.
Force, including a lathi-charge, was used to disperse the mob and prevent loss of life and property. Seven women and children were rescued during the violence, the official stated.
An injured policeman was admitted to a private hospital in Raipur, while the other cops were undergoing treatment at the Community Health Centre in Rajim town. The injured civilians were admitted to a private and government hospital in Raipur, he said.
Police said communal tension in the village dates back to 2024, when Qureshi, then a minor, along with two others, was accused of desecrating a Shivling at a temple in Dutkaiyya village. He was then sent to a juvenile correctional home in Mana, Raipur, and was released on bail later.
After his release, Qureshi, now a major, allegedly intimidated villagers and harassed witnesses linked to the case. One of the persons assaulted on Sunday was a witness in the temple desecration case, he said.
An FIR has been registered on attempt to murder, rioting and arson charges against several persons involved in the violence, while a separate case of attempt to murder against a woman has been lodged in connection with an attack on a cop, police said.
The situation in Dutkaiyya village was under control and heavy police deployment has been made to prevent any further untoward incidents.
Authorities appealed to residents to maintain communal harmony and refrain from spreading or believing in rumours on social media and other communication platforms, officials said.
