Yadav Singh: The Millionaire Engineer without Engineering degree, arrested by CBI

The CBI yesterday arrested former New Okhla Industrial Development Authority (NOIDA) chief engineer Yadav Singh in a two-year-old corruption case for allegedly awarding projects worth Rs 116.39 crore to private companies during his tenure, in return of regular bribes from them, India TV quoted officials as saying.

CBI had registered its first case against Singh on January 17th 2018 on charges of criminal conspiracy and misuse of official position, along with accepting heavy bribes regularly. “It was also alleged that the then chief maintenance engineer (CME) in conspiracy with other officers/officials of the NOIDA as well as with the said contractors had awarded several contracts worth Rs 116.39 crore (approx.) to the five firms in gross violation of tender norms and procedures of the Noida,” the CBI said.

While such individuals are exposed and booked on a regular basis by agencies on charges of large-scale corruption, what is interesting about this particular man is his seemingly close proximity to Akhilesh Yadav and the Samajwadi Party. In July 2015, the Allahabad High Court had directed the CBI to take over the case and book the individual accordingly, as the case was too complex and large-scale.

Interestingly, it was the then Akhilesh-led government in 2015 which approached the Supreme Court against the High Court’s verdict to allow CBI to investigate the case. For the Akhilesh Yadav government to shield a gravely corrupt ‘engineer’, to the extent that it defends the man in the Supreme Court indeed makes for an interesting read. Despite the then government’s endeavour to anyhow defend a crook, the Supreme Court did not rule in its favour. In 2014, an I-T department raid uncovered disproportionate assets worth Rs 10,000 crore from his residence.

In 2012 too, Yadav Singh was suspended and an FIR was filed against him relating to a Rs. 954-crore property scam. Prior to the suspension, Singh was the Chief Engineer of Noida Authority, Greater Noida Authority and Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority. Surprisingly, the Akhilesh Yadav government also overturned this suspension in 2013 and reinstated the crook to the earlier held positions. It also closed the case against Singh.

What is also startling is the fact that Yadav Singh has no formal engineering degree! In all likelihood, he has forged his degrees to climb the ladder so far. Not having the requisite qualifications, yet being made in-charge of such important projects is indeed something which must be probed, and the previous Uttar Pradesh government has just as many questions to answer. Singh was promoted to the post of assistant project engineer in 1985 without an engineering degree. He was once again elevated to the post of project engineer in 1995 when he still did not have an engineering degree. How such an individual was able to become the Chief Engineer of important projects despite not being qualified is something which will now be investigated by the CBI.