The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has intensified its inquiry into suspected irregularities in manpower and security-services contracts totalling roughly ₹200 crore awarded by various departments of the Chandigarh administration, officials said on Monday.
Scope of the federal probe
Investigators over the weekend questioned two persons, including firm operator Sandeep Malik, and plan to inspect offices of concerned departments from Monday to review tender allocations and related documents, the agency said. The scrutiny focuses on three operators across four companies and unnamed government officials who are suspected of facilitating awards on the basis of forged credentials.
According to the CBI case file, the agency is looking into alleged submission of fabricated experience and performance certificates and falsified technical documents on the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) portal to secure high-value contracts. Teams led by DSP Prakash Chand have carried out raids at both residential and commercial premises and seized laptops and computers for forensic examination.
Key FIR and complaint details
The federal probe originates from an FIR registered on October 13, 2026, which followed a complaint lodged on September 29, 2026, by Ranjit Mishra, president of the Education Department Group D Employees Union, according to the case records made available to the investigating agency.
Focus on GMSH-16 outsourcing contract
A principal element of the inquiry is the manpower outsourcing contract floated in November 2025 for BSc nursing staff at the Government Multi-Specialty Hospital (GMSH) in Sector 16, valued at about ₹25 crore. The GeM portal received 392 bids during the process, but 389 were declared ineligible at technical evaluation, leaving three entities — reportedly linked to a single family — that were cleared after presenting certificates of prior manpower execution amounting to approximately ₹75 crore.
The contract was eventually awarded to A2Z Manpower and Security Service, an entity said to be operated by Sandeep Malik. CBI verification has, according to investigators, established that the experience certificates submitted in support of the bid were fabricated. The agency is also examining an earlier term served by an individual named in the probe.
Alleged modus operandi under investigation
Preliminary findings point to the use of forged experience credentials, manipulated performance certificates and fabricated technical submissions uploaded on the GeM portal to obtain contracts at scale, the CBI said. The probe involves at least three operators — Sandeep Malik, Rekha and Satish Kumar — and four firms, with additional government officers under suspicion for their role in evaluation and award processes.
- Questions put to the accused and seizure of digital material form part of evidence-gathering;
- Investigative teams will review tender files, evaluation reports and the GeM submissions at departmental offices;
- Forensic examination of seized devices is expected to establish the provenance of uploaded documents and communications.
| Item | Reported detail |
|---|---|
| Alleged total value of implicated tenders | ~₹200 crore |
| Notable contract under scrutiny | GMSH-16 BSc nursing staff outsourcing — ₹25 crore |
| Number of GeM bidders (GMSH-16) | 392 submitted; 389 declared ineligible |
| Claimed prior experience used to qualify | Certificates showing ~₹75 crore of prior execution |
Investigative actions and next steps
The CBI said teams will examine departmental records, including tender allocation files and submitted experience and performance certificates, at the offices of the departments concerned. The agency has already conducted searches and seized electronic devices that it said will be forensically analysed to trace the origin and authenticity of documents filed on the GeM portal.
Authorities have indicated further questioning and potential expansion of the probe depending on evidence recovered from digital devices and departmental files. No charges have been framed publicly yet; the investigation remains ongoing.
The case highlights concerns about the verification mechanisms for large-scale public procurement on centralised portals and the vulnerability of the tendering process to exploitation where document authentication is weak, investigators said.
