Engineers (TCE), Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT), and two dredging firms over alleged irregularities worth over ₹800 crore in the Capital Dredging Project near Mumbai. The accused include Sunil Kumar Madabhavi (then JNPT Chief Engineer), Devdutt Bose (then TCE Project Director), Boskalis Smit India LLP, Jan De Nul Dredging India Pvt Ltd, and other unidentified public servants. The FIR, registered under IPC sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy), 420 (cheating), and provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act, follows a three-year preliminary inquiry.
The investigation revealed a criminal conspiracy between JNPT officials and executives of TCE, resulting in significant financial losses to the government during both phases of the project. Phase-I (2003–2014) saw a reported loss of ₹365.90 crore, while Phase-II (2013–2019) accounted for a loss of ₹438 crore, largely due to over-dredging and manipulation in project execution. The CBI alleged that the tender conditions were manipulated to favour foreign bidders, including the joint venture between Boskalis Smit and Jan De Nul, in violation of Competition Commission of India (CCI) norms.
On Wednesday, the CBI conducted searches at five locations in Mumbai and Chennai, including the residences of the accused officials and offices of the dredging firms. During these raids, investigators recovered key documents related to the project, digital devices, and evidence of financial investments made by the public servants involved. A CBI spokesperson confirmed that the recovered materials are currently being examined for further action.
The FIR highlights numerous procedural violations, such as irregularities in rate fixation for rock dredging, delayed project timelines, and the use of less accurate software (‘Qinsy’) for pre-dredge surveys. The CBI also pointed to a false claim of ₹348 crore made for unexecuted work and excess payments totaling ₹430 crore. Notably, TCE was responsible not only for preparing the final project report in 2010 but also for acting as the Project Management Consultant, overseeing tender creation and implementation—roles now under scrutiny for conflict of interest and procedural lapses.
