CBI registers case against former Chief Manager of JNPA and private entities over ₹800 cr. alleged scam

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered a case against the former Chief Manager of Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA), and four others, including three firms, for cheating, conspiracy, corruption and causing losses of over ₹800 crores to JNPA.

According to CBI’s officials, the case was registered on June 18, 2025, on allegation that criminal conspiracy was hatched amongst JNPA officials and private persons and entities, which caused the loss. 

The official statement released on June 20 midnight, said that a consortium of a Mumbai-based private company and another Chennai-based company under a Capital Dredging Project for increasing the depth of navigational channel to facilitate entry of vessels to Jawaharlal Nehru Port, Nhava Sheva, Mumbai, was awarded contracts under the project, while a private consulting company from Mumbai, acted as the Project Management Consultant (PMC) for JNPA in the said project. 

“It was alleged that during the maintenance of dredged channels in Phase-I of the project, JNPA made excess payments aggregating to ₹365.90 crores to the contractors against claims raised for over dredging of channels. However, in Phase-Il of the project, which overlapped with the maintenance period of Phase-I, JNPT made an additional excess payment of ₹438 crores to the contractor, showing that no over dredging was done in Phase-l or maintenance period thereof,” the CBI’s statement read.

Searches were conducted at residential premises of officers of JNPA, the consulting company and offices of accused private companies at five different locations in Mumbai and Chennai which led the investigating team to the recovery of several documents relating to the Capital Dredging Project, digital devices and documents showing investments made by public servants. “The documents recovered are being examined. Further investigation in the matter continues,” the officials said.