Ranchi’s CBI special court has taken a decisive step by framing charges against BJP’s Garhwa MLA Satyendranath Tiwari in the decades-old bitumen procurement scandal. Tiwari, who was director at Kalawati Construction Pvt Ltd during the alleged fraud, now braces for trial proceedings to commence soon.
Charges under IPC provisions and anti-corruption laws have been formalized, with the CBI ordered to submit evidence from February 20 onwards. The scandal erupted in 2003-04 amid massive discrepancies in bitumen purchases for road construction by the state’s PWD.
Probe findings exposed 61 out of 114 submitted challans as bogus, enabling the company to illegally extract Rs 2.23 crore. Tiwari is alleged to have orchestrated the forgery racket, diverting taxpayer money through sham invoices.
His previous bid for discharge was dismissed by the court, which ruled that initial evidence sufficiently implicates him. The order underscores the need for a comprehensive trial to unearth the full extent of the conspiracy.
This development comes at a sensitive time for Jharkhand politics, where corruption allegations continue to haunt leaders. With witness examinations set to begin, Tiwari’s defense will be put to the test. The case revives memories of the early 2000s graft epidemic that plagued public works departments across India.
As proceedings advance, observers anticipate revelations that could influence public perception and electoral dynamics in Garhwa. The judiciary’s firm stance signals zero tolerance for white-collar crimes, even after two decades.