Ukhrul/Agartala, Oct 16: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) have launched a forceful assault on corruption, targeting Manipur University’s tainted procurement deals and NHIDCL’s bribery-ridden highway projects—seizing assets, making arrests, and vowing deeper scrutiny.
Manipur University Funds Diversion — Key Contractor’s Connection
According to senior journalist Debanish Achom, the Enforcement Directorate attached assets worth Rs 71 lakh in the recent Manipur University funds diversion case. The accused include Konsam Sheityabati Devi, wife of former MU finance in-charge K Jiban Kumar Singh, and contractor Lourembam Rameshwar Meitei, owner of Lourembam Enterprises.
Rameshwar Meitei, already a prominent figure as the Planning & Development Authority Chairman, is the same contractor who oversaw the infrastructure development of the Heritage Complex, Rajbari, Shillong, as confirmed by the official foundation stone laid by Chief Minister N. Biren Singh in December 2022.
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The ED found that these individuals had received and concealed funds through assets, including a residential property valued at Rs 23.95 lakh and two agricultural lands totaling Rs 48 lakh, declared as proceeds of crime under PMLA, 2002.
The investigation revealed intricate links between academic fund diversion and allocation of state contracts. Multiple media outlets and official press releases point to Meitei’s deep involvement in major public projects while facing financial scrutiny in the university scam.
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CBI Busts NHIDCL Bribery Network
At nearly the same time, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested Maisnam Riten Kumar Singh, Executive Director & Regional Officer of NHIDCL, after trapping him accepting a Rs 10 lakh bribe for extending a key contract and issuing completion certificates for a four-laning project on National Highway-37 in Assam. The CBI operation also detained contractor firm representative Binod Kumar Jain for facilitating the illicit payment.
CBI searches uncovered Rs 2.62 crore in unaccounted cash and ownership documents for 20 flats and nine plots linked to Singh. Investigators are now assessing the total asset value, suspecting wider systemic irregularities across NHIDCL projects. Both Singh and Jain were produced before the Special Judge for CBI cases in Guwahati, marking a critical step in the agency’s investigation into highway-related corruption and money laundering.
