ACB trap in RSRDC: Four arrested men remanded in judicial custody

Jaipur: The Rajasthan anti-corruption bureau (ACB) has arrested four men including chief project manager of Rajasthan State Road Development and Construction Corporation Limited Narendra Mohan Sharma and project director Laxman Singh in connection with the alleged exchange of bribe. Two other private individuals are Rajesh Wadhwa – the brother of a private firm owner Rajan Wadhwa and a contractor, identified as Ram Singh Saharan. Four were produced in a court on Friday. They were remanded in judicial custody.

Narendra Mohan Sharma is a resident of Malviya Nagar area in Jaipur and was due to retire next month. A search at his residence revealed investments worth Rs 90 lakh, senior ACB officials said.

The alleged corruption came to light when ACB arrested RSRDC project director Laxman Singh Tanwar when allegedly accepting bribe from Rajan Wadhwa to provide undue benefits to the private firm owned by Rajan’s brother, according to DG ACB Alok Tripathi. Narendra Mohan Sharma was found involved in the corruption in road development and construction contracts, the officer added.

The ACB had put these RSRDC officials under surveillance when complaints of corruption were received. Their phones were tapped and when the complaints were found genuine, a trap was laid, the officer said.

DG ACB Alok Tripathi said that RSRDC project director Laxman Singh was supervising the quality control and other such work for road construction and development in Bikaner and Churu units. The work was being undertaken by private firm – Renu Enterprises Private Limited – in Bikaner unit. To obtain undue benefits, Rajesh Wadhwa was offering bribe to Laxman Singh, DG Tripathi said.