New Delhi, Feb 18 (IANS): A corruption case has been registered against a general manager rank official of South Eastern Coalfields Limited (SECL) and three others for their alleged role in manupulating the tender process and favouring a private company, a CBI statement said Tuesday.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) said that the agency recently booked R.P. Singh, the then sub area manager of Beharaband coal mines at Anuppur district in Madhya Pradesh and five others. They have been charged under section 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Prevention of Corruption Act.

"It was alleged that during financial year 2012-13, the sub area manager and three other SECL officials entered into criminal conspiracy with a proprietor of private company (who was also having power of attorney for other two firms) and manipulated limited tender process. He also illegally favoured the proprietor by issuing 65 works orders to the companies which were being handled by him," a CBI official said.

"It is further alleged that in these 65 work orders, the employment of labour required for particular work has been inflated by the public servants to provide the favours to the contractor," he said.

The official further said: "As per the 65 work orders, around 27,768 labour manshifts have falsely shown as deployed but only 8,522 manshifts have been actually deployed by the contractor in the Beheraband underground mines. An alleged loss to the tune of Rs. 44.65 lakhs was caused to the SECL."

The official said that searches were conducted Tuesday at ten places in Anuppur, Sarguja, Ambikapur, Durg, Korba, Bhilai, Nagpur including residential and office premises of the accused persons.