Authority: High Court of Jharkhand at Ranchi

Order Date: 25.06.2026

Case Overview

  • Petitioner's full name: Upendra Nath Mandal, aged about 59, Senior Manager at MECON Ranchi.
  • Case identifiers: B.A. No. 3398 of 2026 (anticipatory bail application) and R.C. Case No. 08(A)/2017‑R pending before the Additional Judicial Commissioner‑XVI‑CUM‑Special Judge, CBI, Ranchi.
  • Charges: Sections 120B of the Indian Penal Code; Sections 7, 12 and 13(2) read with 13(1)(d) of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
  • Alleged conspiracy with two firms: M/s Zeal India Chemicals and M/s Shiv Machine Tools.
  • Illegal gratification alleged: total Rs 1,65,45,000 received through bank transactions in petitioner’s, relatives’ or friends’ names.
  • Rs 49,50,000 received from Zeal India Chemicals between 12.06.2013 and 15.06.2016.
  • Rs 1,15,95,000 received from Shiv Machine Tools between 03.08.2015 and 02.08.2016.
  • Additional financial links:
  • Loans totalling approximately Rs 23 lakhs taken by petitioner or his wife from Ajay Jalan (partner of Zeal India Chemicals) and later settled by compromise.
  • Unregistered sale agreement of property between petitioner’s wife and Mintu Naskar; Rs 80 lakhs transferred to petitioner’s wife’s account, but the sale did not materialise.
  • CBI alleges Rs 70 lakhs transferred from Shiv Machine Tools, Chennai to Naskar Ceramics for machinery sale; the amount ultimately went to petitioner’s wife without any property transfer.
  • Experience and consortium issues:
  • Zeal India Chemicals lacked requisite experience for supply/work in steel plants, national laboratories, test houses, and Indian Railways; this was ignored in the Tender Appraisal Report.
  • During reverse bidding, Zeal India Chemicals was declared L‑1.
  • Consortium partners Batliboi Ltd., Kolkata and Metal Power (I) Pvt. Ltd., Mumbai initially facilitated Zeal’s entry but withdrew after contract award.
  • Technical inspection:
  • Equipment/material supplied by both firms was inspected by experts of the Central Institute of Mining and Fuel Research (CIMFER), Dhanbad, revealing prices were exorbitantly higher.
  • Financial totals cited by CBI:
  • Rs 48.55 lakhs taken from Zeal India Chemicals.
  • Rs 94.39 lakhs taken from Shiv Machine Tools.
  • Combined amount alleged to be taken: Rs 1,42,94,000.
  • Petitioner had been in custody since 30.01.2026; an earlier anticipatory bail was conditioned on a deposit of Rs 1 crore, which he could not furnish.

Final Outcome

  • The Court rejected the anticipatory bail application, stating the large unexplained transactions and alleged compromise of important national projects warranted denial of bail.
  • The investigation material submitted in sealed cover is ordered to be returned to the CBI.
  • The order is to be communicated to the concerned court via fax/e‑mail.

Topics: Anticipatory Bail, Corruption, Judicial Order