Kanpur: Contractor Govind Sharma, an alleged key accused in the Kanpur Municipal Corporation (KMC) tender and firm scam, on Monday appeared before the Special Investigation Team (SIT) and allegedly disclosed details of the nexus involved in the scam. He also handed over documents and other evidence to the police.In his statement recorded before the SIT, Sharma alleged that several corporators and senior KMC officials, including the chief engineer, were part of the syndicate. He alleged that contractors from outside the syndicate had to pay around 40% commission to get tenders cleared and payments released.According to Sharma’s statement, no tender could be awarded and payments for completed works could not be released without the consent of the corporators allegedly involved in the syndicate.Sharma further said that contractor Rajjan Bajpai was responsible for forcing contractors out of the tender process by allegedly threatening them. He reportedly named around 10 corporators who were allegedly part of the syndicate.Police have registered six FIRs- five FIRs at Swarup Nagar police station on complaints lodged by KMC officials and another at Fazalganj police station on the complaint of contractor Sunny Singh. Singh had accused Sharma, Rajjan Bajpai and Sandeep Jain of extortion. Police have arrested Bajpai and Jain, while Sharma had been absconding. Police have also seized his car.Sharma subsequently obtained a stay from the high court against his arrest and has now moved an application seeking release of his vehicle. SIT member Dhananjay Pandey had issued a notice to Sharma to appear for questioning.While describing the alleged role of the corporators, Sharma claimed that contractors could not complete projects without their permission. He alleged that members of the syndicate would raise objections over the quality of construction work, level allegations of irregularities and raise the matter in the KMC House, eventually seeking blacklisting of the firms.He further alleged that even after a contractor completed the assigned work, the corporators would raise objections to the release of payment, thereby putting pressure on the contractor.The SIT is examining Sharma’s allegations and the evidence submitted by him to ascertain the role of the persons named in his statement.
