Kendrapara, Feb. 2: The arrest of a key operator of a crime syndicate has led to unearthing of multi-crore tender-fixing racket in the district.

Syed Imran Ali, 40, the kingpin of the racket, was arrested today from Kendrapara.

Police sources said that tenders were being rigged under the direction of Ali, who is facing trial in 13 criminal cases, including that of murder. His gang was rigging the tender-bidding process in favour of their handpicked contractors through intimidation.

Kendrapara superintendent of police Nitinjit Singh said that the drive to bust the racket was launched a fortnight ago. So far, police have taken 23 members of the gang into custody, all of whom are history-sheeters. Besides, six contractors who had colluded with gangsters to bag project contracts have also been nabbed.

Singh said that the gang rigged the tender process of 131 government projects of irrigation division, roads and building department, saline embankment division, rural water sanitation scheme division and public health engineering department. Tender bidding of projects worth Rs 50 crore was rigged by the criminals. Ali oversaw the entire process with professional expertise, said Singh.

Police are now looking at the movable and immovable assets of the gangster. Ali's suspected link with employees and officials of engineering department is also under scanner. The possible involvement of his brother - notorious gangster Tito - in the tender-fixing racket is also being probed. It is very likely that Tito was also calling the shots, Singh said.

The cops are also trying to gather evidence against contractors involved in tender fixing. They are also looking into the involvement of officials and employees of civil construction divisions, the SP said.

The bidding process of as many as 134 projects coming under water resources department were earlier suspended following corroborative evidence of tender fixing. Fresh tender has been invited for execution of the projects earmarked for irrigation and saline embankment divisions, said Singh.

Complaints regarding the tender bidding were also brought to the notice of chief minister's office recently. The tender biddings, which were fixed, were from water resources department. The bidding process was stopped following directions received from the higher authorities.

Sources said that the fixing had been going on very much with the knowledge of local officials, including the law-enforcing agencies.