The CBI has arrested seven persons, including the Assistant General Manager of public sector undertaking Mishra Dhatu Nigam Ltd (MIDHANI), for allegedly diverting valuable material to scrap dealers in Hyderabad.
Besides MIDHANI AGM S Narasing Rao, the agency has arrested two personnel of the Telangana State Special Protection Force, Assistant Commandant Ravinder Reddy and Constable Saripalli Prem Kumar.
It also nabbed scrap dealers Mohammed Nayeem Nayyar and Mohammed Waseem Nayyar and MIDHANI casual employees Bathkola Murali and Nasa Deekshith.
"It was alleged that the accused entered into a conspiracy...To divert valuable raw/finished/semi-finished material in a clandestine manner from MIDHANI, Hyderabad to the godown of scrap dealers.
“It was further alleged that the said scrap merchants agreed to pay illegal gratification to the temporary/casual employees and other public servants," the CBI said in a statement.
During investigation, the CBI intercepted the vehicle while transferring 950 kilogram of precious material and caught the two scrap merchants. They were stealing precious metal scrap along with two temporary employees of MIDHANI, the driver of the vehicle and other accused.
"Searches were conducted at six locations in Hyderabad at MIDHANI and other premises of accused which led to the recovery of incriminating documents and mobile phones containing incriminating evidence as well as some details of payments made by the scrap merchants to the temporary employees of MIDHANI," the agency said, adding the arrested accused will be produced before the Competent Court.