The Lokpal and Lokayukta Act, which envisages the appointment of a Lokpal at the Centre and Lokayuktas in the states to look into cases of corruption against certain categories of public servants, was passed in 2013.
CBI has registered its first case on the basis of directives from the country’s anti-corruption watchdog, Lokpal, against Manager Singh, the then director general of the National Research Laboratory for Conservation of Cultural Property (NRLCCP), officials said on Thursday.
The central probe agency registered the case on the basis of the Lokpal’s orders issued on September 30, 2021 on complaints against Singh received by the watchdog.
“This is the first FIR registered by the agency referred by the Lokpal,” a senior official said on the condition of anonymity.
The Lokpal had directed the agency to “conduct investigation in relation to and in connection with the matter of tendering, awarding and execution of the work to V K Singh Construction Company by Manager Singh, the then DG (on contract) in both the campuses of National Research Laboratory for Conservation of Cultural Property (NRLC) at Lucknow and Mysore”.
“It has further been ordered to investigate into the payments made by V K Singh Construction Company to the relatives of Manager Singh (DG on contract) and in the related irregularities,” the FIR said.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has booked Manager Singh, VK Singh, the company VK Singh Construction Company and unidentified public servants and private persons under the Indian Penal Code sections related to criminal conspiracy and cheating and the provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
Retired Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghose was appointed as the first Lokpal of the country in 2019.
According to the law, the Lokpal has the power of superintendence and direction over any central investigation agency, including the CBI, for cases referred to these agencies by it.
