800 Cr Dredging Scam: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed a case against Sunil Kumar Madabhavi, former chief manager of the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA), along with Tata Consulting Engineers (TCE), Mumbai, and several private individuals and firms, over alleged corruption exceeding ₹800 crore linked to the Capital Dredging Project at Mumbai’s Nhava Sheva port.

The First Information Report (FIR), filed on June 18, 2025, also names TCE director Devdutt Bose, M/s Boskalis Smit India LLP (Mumbai), and M/s Jan De Nul Dredging India Pvt Ltd (Chennai) as accused. According to the CBI, JNPA officials and a group of private companies from Mumbai and Chennai conspired to siphon off public funds under the guise of project payments.

800 Cr Dredging Scam in Mumbai:

The CBI claims that JNPA officials violated norms during a capital dredging project aimed at widening the port’s navigational channel to accommodate larger vessels. According to the agency, JNPA overpaid contractors by ₹365.90 crore for alleged over-dredging work during Phase I of the project.

The scrutiny intensified when investigators discovered that JNPA disbursed an additional ₹438 crore during Phase II, despite no over-dredging occurring in Phase I, while maintenance for the earlier phase was still underway. This contradiction raised serious concerns about the legitimacy of the payments.

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CBI personnel conducted coordinated search operations in five different locations in Chennai and Mumbai, raiding the consultancy firm’s facilities, the offices of the private companies involved, and the homes of former JNPA executives. Authorities allegedly found proof of illegal investments made by public employees connected to the scheme, as well as a sizable cache of project-related documents and digital devices.

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