WAPCOS Under the Shadow: Syndicate Allegedly Rigged Tenders, Smuggled Funds Abroad

New Delhi: A Ministry-bound investigation has unveiled what it describes as a tightly organised corruption network inside WAPCOS, implicating senior officials, contractors, and hawala channels. The dossier, submitted to the Ministry of Jal Shakti, alleges that under former CMD Rajnikant Aggarwal, a small syndicate manipulated tenders, siphoned foreign project funds, and acquired disproportionate assets through benami arrangements.

The report, marked highly sensitive, names key insiders, including Sumir Chawla—described as the chief architect of internal manipulation—and Sanjay Bohidar, termed a “shadow influence agent” within vigilance. External fixers and complicit companies, notably PUREWAYS, CHOICE, HALCONS, and Bernard Consultants, are said to have facilitated a systematic network of tender-rigging, GST fraud, and forced commissions across states such as Odisha, Kerala, Bihar, and Jharkhand.

Investigators allege the syndicate used hawala channels, including Agni Plywood in Yamuna Nagar, to move foreign exchange from projects in Tanzania, Myanmar, Cambodia, Mongolia, and Rwanda. Suspicious SPV loans totaling ₹200 crore, luxury properties, and vehicles not reflected in declared income have been flagged. The report recommends immediate ED, CBI, IT, and SFIO scrutiny.

The dossier also highlights procedural lapses, including ignored complaints and an FIR from Jnunjhunu, Rajasthan, warning that casual closures may have deliberately neutralised investigations. Urgent measures suggested include suspension of compromised officials, a CAG forensic audit, multi-agency probes, and full whistleblower protection. The Ministry and PMO are reportedly monitoring the matter closely, with the dossier warning that inaction could make this a landmark case study in institutional failure.