Vinod Sinha

Ranchi, Dec. 13: Vinod Sinha, prime accused in the illegal gratification case in awarding of rural electrification contracts to Hyderabad based IVRCL, was today brought from Birsa Munda Central Jail to the vigilance bureau headquarters under tight security where he was quizzed by vigilance sleuths for over several hours.

A statement by D.K. Srivastava, joint general manager and zonal head, IVRCL, who was heading the company’s power projects in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand, recorded by the income tax department in its dossier, said Rs 11.40 crore was paid prior to the award of the contract to former chief minister Madhu Koda through his close associate Sinha “against a 2.5 per cent commission for getting the tenders in Jharkhand”.

Vigilance IG M.V. Rao, when contacted by The Telegraph, declined to give details, though he confirmed that some important work was being done at the bureau headquarters.

A tight security cover was thrown around the bureau offices as Sinha was quizzed by deputy SP Ashok Kumar Rai for several hours this afternoon. The interrogations are likely to continue.

Sinha was arrested by the CBI from a farmhouse in Delhi on September 16 this year and brought to Ranchi on September 18 where he was produced before the CBI special judge the same day. Since then he has been in Birsa jail.

Sinha is also accused of amassing disproportionate wealth, procuring loans to the tune of Rs 3.84 crore from Bank of Baroda on the basis of forged documents and obtaining illegal gratification to the tune of Rs 13 crore for recommending a company for allotment of land for mining of iron ore.