The CBI has registered a case of corruption in the maintenance contracts of gardens at Uttar Pradesh's historical sites, including Taj Mahal and The Residency in Lucknow, allegedly by Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) officials in collusion with a private contractor.
The contractor allegedly siphoned off government funds by submitting fake bills showing unskilled workers engaged in Mysore circle of the ASI tending lawns of historical sites 2,000 kilometers away in Lucknow. Labourers listed under ASI's Kota and Delhi circles were also shown as working in Lucknow.
Similar bogus bills were also reimbursed on the basis of bogus bills submitted for maintenance of lawns in cites like Kushinagar, Agra, Kanpur, among others by the private contractor Kuldeep Singh.
The complaint, now a part of the FIR, gave specific details about archaeological sites in Uttar Pradesh like the iconic Taj Mahal and The Residency in Lucknow.
The Residency, also called as the British Residency and Residency Complex, is a group of several buildings in a common precinct in Lucknow. It served as the residence for the British Resident General who was a representative in the court of the Nawab.
The complaint further alleged that similar fraud was also perpetrated in Agra's Sikandara, Ram Bagh and Fatehpur Sikri.
The accused contractor was allegedly aided by Horticulture Assistant at The Residency Vineet Agrawal, Deputy Superintending Horticulturist posted at ASI's Agra Division-I which covers most of Uttar Pradesh, P K Choudhary; and retired officer Raj Kumar.
Singh was awarded a Rs 2.5 crore contract on October 22, 2019 for upkeep of archaeological gardens in Uttar Pradesh for fiscal 2019-20 which was CBI again extended for next year at same rate.