Rakesh Tiwari, arrested by CBI for allegedly helping corrupt government officials stash away their ill-gotten wealth, seems to have a rather dodgy career graph.
New Delhi: It was his skill to whip up perfect meat dishes that got him into the close circles of senior bureaucrats he then allegedly helped get away with corruption. It also reportedly helped him gain entry into the home of then CBI director Ranjit Sinha in 2012.
Rakesh Tiwari, the caterer of a club for retired and serving senior bureaucrats, is accused of helping government officials hide their ill-gotten wealth and using his contacts in the agency to tip them off about cases against them.
His recent arrest by the CBI has reportedly thrown open a can of worms, painting the picture of a man who bagged a plum government catering contract despite questionable hygiene practices, and prime retail space simply by virtue of his contacts.
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It was allegedly during his stint catering for the CBI canteen that Tiwari first came in close contact with lower-rung officials of the agency, especially those with the anti-corruption units, who often ate there.
After he joined the elite Pallika Services Officers’ Institute (PSOI) in 2010, he reportedly emerged as a confidant of many bureaucrats who frequented the club. Over time, sources say, the patrons began to trust him with their secrets, and even their illegally amassed wealth.
It is reported that a dish made by Tiwari at PSOI impressed Sinha so much that the former began bringing him the fare at home. The two reportedly developed a friendship, which is said to have helped him get in touch with more senior official of the agency.
It is during Tiwari’s time at PSOI that he reportedly built a strong network within the NDMC (New Delhi Municipal Council) as well — contacts that allegedly helped him secure the rights to run multiple shops without participating in the requisite auction.
Bagged PSOI contract despite being blacklisted
Tiwari was appointed as the caterer for PSOI after he won a tender eight years ago.
In March 2014, he was blacklisted following complaints that he did not maintain a hygienic kitchen.
According to sources, during a press event, a cockroach was found in the food served at PSOI and the matter subsequently reached the chairman.
A complaint was made to the health and sanitation department of the NDMC by the then vice-chairman of the civic agency, Tajdar Babbar, and an inspection of the kitchen and storehouse ordered.
In the inspection, the kitchen area was reportedly found to be in a filthy state. It was then sealed and Tiwari asked to leave.
For over two months, the kitchen remained shut and a new tender was floated with the help of the Delhi Tourism and Transport Development Corporation.
Tiwari was among the bidders, and quoted a price lower than he did in 2010 to bag the contract.
“He tried to get in by under-quoting. This is when I raised an objection, saying that he was trying to compromise quality,” said Jalaj Srivastava, the additional secretary for agriculture who served as NDMC chairman till April 2015. “He was not allowed to operate in PSOI till April 2015,” Srivastava told ThePrint.
He alleged that, after that, the tender rules were modified and eligibility criteria changed.
“Tiwari was not found eligible in the (earlier) tender but the eligibility criteria were tampered with by Naresh Kumar, current NDMC chairman, and PSOI director Rajshekhar to get him in,” he said.
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Kumar described the allegations as “baseless”.
“A proper procedure was followed, tenders floated, and there were a lot of competing caterers. Tiwari was not favoured, he was found to be eligible for the contract,” he said.
Rajshekhar hit back at Srivastava, saying the former NDMC chairman wanted Tiwari removed because he was “unhappy with his catering at one of his family functions”.
“In 2016, Tiwari was brought in after following proper procedure. After he (Tiwari) was removed by Jalaj Srivastava and not allowed to contest in the tender process because of his personal reasons, Tiwari moved the high court,” he added.
“Tiwari mentioned that he was eligible to contest as he was then the caterer of the CBI and also running a club of former Army men. The court then directed that Tiwari could participate in the tendering process,” Rajshekhar said.
The NDMC affair
It was during raids conducted against Tiwari that the CBI reportedly found papers in connection with the NDMC allegations.
The NDMC allocates property, whether it is a shop, a kiosk or a hotel, through an auction. In March 2017, sources said, Tiwari’s company Avone Logistic Services was given charge of the shops without an auction.
“It is against the rules to give the contract to a person without opening the bid for others,” Srivasatava said.
Rajshekhar of PSOI dismissed this allegation too.
“No shop was given to Tiwari without an auction. Two kiosks to be put up for an e-auction were, until then, given to the then caterer of PSOI as an interim arrangement, with due knowledge and consultation of the counsel,” he said. “It will be incorrect to say that the shops were handed over to Tiwari’s company without an auction.”
Among other things, Tiwari is under investigation for allegedly tapping his sources in the CBI to pass on sensitive information about a corruption case against Vivek Batra, an Indian Revenue Service officer posted as additional commissioner (TSD) Mumbai.
During CBI searches at PSOI, Tiwari was found to be in possession of details regarding hawala transactions conducted through a trader based in Old Delhi’s Dariban Kalan, apart from 20 Rolex watches, passports, and jewellery worth crores.
“Currently, we are looking at Tiwari’s involvement in leaking sensitive information about CBI cases and also his association with senior bureaucrats. The grant of contracts to him in connivance with NDMC officials will be looked into too and a separate case registered if required,” a CBI officer said.