ACB gets Centre's nod to try ex-IAS officer RK Verma in Rs 100 crore transport 'scam'

NEW DELHI: Central government's department of personnel and training (DoPT) has granted sanction to the anti-corruption branch (ACB) to prosecute a retired IAS officer for allegedly giving pecuniary benefits to a company, which operated a passenger vehicles' inspection and certification unit in north Delhi's Burari in 2007-08.
A 1984-batch IAS officer, RK Verma was posted as secretary-cum-commissioner in the transport department when Delhi govt had procured three inspection and certification lanes for passenger vehicles from a US-based company.The transport department, however, allegedly ignored the advice of Automotive Research Association of India, the consultant in the project, and handed over the operation and maintenance of the inspection lanes to an Indian company with the similar name. According to DoPT, the scam is worth at Rs 100 crore.
Verma could not be contacted for a comment. He had taken voluntary retirement from service in 2014.
According to a DoPT's order, the department did not appoint a station manager to look after the equipment, which was a violation of the cabinet decision. It allegedly also gave the Indian company the order to install more lanes by misrepresenting the facts of proprietorship. It stated a supplementary agreement was also signed with the Indian company to increase the fees for a particular test though the equipment for it was not even installed.
DoPT mentioned that the competent authority, after carefully examining the relevant records, documents and reports, considered that sufficient evidence had been brought on records to establish that a prima facie case was made out for granting sanction for prosecution under Section 19 of Prevention of Corruption Act 1988.