CBI registers case against 5 in Lakshadweep chopper service scam

KOCHI: Nearly a year after the vigilance department of the public sector undertaking Pawan Hans Helicopters Limited (PHHL) found misappropriation by its staff in the handling charges to be paid to Airport Authority of India (AAI), CBI has registered a case against five people, including former officials of the PHHL.
According to officials with the Anti-Corruption Bureau of CBI Kochi, case has been registered against the accused under various sections of Prevention of Corruption Act.
The FIR, filed against S K Das, former general manager with PHHL, Mumbai; C M Somanathan, former deputy general manager (finance and accounts); H N Ghag, former deputy general manager (personnel and administration); Shaharban Mohammed, base assistant, Kavaratti; V A Alexander, former consultant of PHHL at Cochin International Airport Limited and unknown others, was submitted at district sessions judge court in Lakshadweep's capital island Kavaratti in mid-January.
CBI officials said that PHHL suspended their staff involved in the alleged scam after a report was submitted by the chief vigilance officer of PHHL, Delhi. CBI later took over the case based on this report.
The case pertains to the alleged siphoning of the amount to be paid by the PHHL to the AAI for using the latter's two airports in Kavaratti and Agatti in the union territory for its helicopter services between 2008 and 2013.
“PHHL is offering helicopter services in Lakshadweep on contract basis for airlifting people to cities like Kochi at times of emergency. Though Lakshadweep administration is making payment for the chopper service, PHHL has to pay ground handling charges to AAI for using its airports. The first three accused are alleged of submitting fake vouchers of payments made to AAI to PHHL’s Mumbai office. The vigilance department of PHHL had found misappropriation of around Rs 1.30 crores," said a CBI official.
"After submitting fake vouchers of payments made to AAI, the former officials said to have encashed the funds provided by PHHL for the purpose. The cheques were encashed at PHHL’s account with Syndicate Bank in Kavaratti," said the official.
The CBI team also raided residences of the five accused and seized various documents.
The official added that more people might be involved in the scam, including those in the Lakshadweep administration.