FATEHABAD: An internal inquiry into procurement practices at a regional power utility in northern India has widened into a criminal investigation, implicating engineers, contractors and firms in what officials describe as a coordinated tender manipulation that caused substantial financial loss to the exchequer.
A Criminal Case Takes Shape in Fatehabad
Late on a Saturday night, police in Fatehabad registered a first information report that transformed an internal vigilance matter into a criminal probe. Acting on a complaint filed by a senior engineer of Dakshinanchal Vidyut Vitran Nigam Limited (DVVNL), investigators booked four serving and former assistant engineers, two private individuals and 13 firms over alleged irregularities in electricity distribution tenders worth ₹31 crore.
According to the complaint, reports were lodged against all accused at the Fatehabad police station, and departmental proceedings had already been initiated. Police officials said the investigation would now examine procurement files, financial flows and the role of each accused across multiple financial years.
Certified Cyber Crime Investigator Course Launched by Centre for Police Technology
The case has been registered under several provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including Sections 61(2), 238, 318(4), 336(3), 338, 340(2) and 344, along with Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, signalling that investigators are treating the matter as one involving both criminal conspiracy and abuse of official position
How the Alleged Irregularities Were Flagged
The trigger for the police case was a three-member inquiry committee constituted to examine tender processes in the Fatehabad division for the financial years 2023–24, 2024–25 and 2025–26. The committee’s findings, officials said, pointed to systematic violations of procurement norms and financial loss to the utility.
At the centre of the alleged scheme, according to inquiry records, was a civil assistant, Neeraj Pathak, described as a key intermediary who coordinated between engineers and favoured contractors. Pathak is also accused of attempting to destroy evidence: he had earlier reported a fire in his office room during the night of May 6–7, 2025, an incident investigators later linked to possible record tampering. A formal report regarding the fire was submitted at the Fatehabad police station on May 14.
The inquiry also noted instances in which contracts were allegedly awarded without proper tender publication, and cases where security deposits and tender fees were arranged post facto, raising questions about whether competition was bypassed to benefit select firms.
Engineers, Tenures and Patterns of Control
The investigation has drawn attention to the tenures of successive assistant engineers posted in Fatehabad, mapping alleged irregularities against periods of authority.
Vinod Kumar (also known as V.K. Singh), who served from May 7, 2022, to April 30, 2024, had the longest tenure. Inquiry findings allege that during this period, tenders were manipulated in coordination with Pathak. Arvind Kumar, posted from June 19, 2024, to December 31, 2024, is accused of quickly aligning with the same network and facilitating questionable procurement decisions.
Ravikant Mishra, who served between January 4, 2025, and May 23, 2025, is alleged to have signed off on tender files during a brief tenure after coming under the influence of the same intermediary. Doodhnath, posted from May 23, 2025, to August 12, 2025, and again from September 15 to October 24, 2025, is accused of playing a role in continuing the alleged practices.
Officials familiar with the inquiry said the pattern suggested continuity rather than isolated misconduct, with control over tender processes allegedly shifting seamlessly as postings changed.
Firms Named and the Road Ahead for Investigators
The police case names 13 firms, including Maa Durga Construction, Ram Sewak Singh Proprietor, CDRM Power Limited, Krishna Electricals and Contractors, Shiv Enterprises, Rishi Enterprises, Raghuveer Contractors, Chauhan Enterprises, R.S. Enterprises, Mahakal Enterprises, Newtech Electricals, Amodh Associates and Samridhi Enterprises. Each is alleged to have benefited from, or participated in, irregular tender awards.
Police officials said the investigation would now focus on document verification, examination of bank records and statements of both officials and contractors. While no arrests have been announced, investigators confirmed that scrutiny would extend to financial loss estimates and individual culpability under corruption and conspiracy provisions.
