Verdict in 17-Year-Old Bitumen Scam Case: Contractor Jhaman Prasad Convicted, 6 Government Employees Acquitted
Ranchi, June 22, 2026: A special CBI court delivered a significant verdict on Monday in a high-profile, 17-year-old case involving forged bitumen invoices. The court of Special Judge Kuldeep (Special Judge-II) in Ranchi convicted the prime accused—private contractor Jhaman Prasad—and sentenced him, while acquitting all six government employees named in the case due to a lack of evidence.
Public Prosecutor Sushil Kumar represented the CBI (ACB, Ranchi) in court.
Jhaman Prasad Sentenced to 3 Years, Fined ₹1 Lakh
The court sentenced Jhaman Prasad to three years of rigorous imprisonment (RI) and a fine of ₹40,000 under Sections 468 and 471 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Additionally, he was sentenced to two years of imprisonment and fined ₹20,000 under Section 420.
After imposing further financial penalties under other sections, the court set the total fine at ₹1 lakh. Failure to deposit the fine amount would result in an additional six months of rigorous imprisonment for the convict.
Relief for Six Public Servants
The CBI had filed a charge sheet against a total of seven accused in this case. Following a lengthy trial, the court exonerated all six public servants of the charges, leaving private contractor Jhaman Prasad as the only one convicted.
The acquitted officials and employees include:
Uttam Kujur, then Assistant Engineer, RCD Hazaribagh
Radha Krishna Prasad, Assistant Engineer, RCD Hazaribagh
Akhileshwar Singh, Junior Engineer, RCD Hazaribagh
Gyan Chand Chaudhary, Junior Engineer, RCD Hazaribagh
Bhubaneshwar Mahto, Junior Engineer, RCD Ramgarh
Ram Prakash Sahu, Junior Engineer, BCD Ranchi
What was the case about?
This case was registered by the CBI in 2009 under case number RC-13(A)/2009-R. The investigation alleged that during the execution of two road construction contracts, the quantity of bitumen used was significantly less than what was actually required. To make the work appear proper and complete, 13 forged bitumen invoices (bills) were submitted to the department.
The CBI investigation revealed fraud involving a total of 114.616 metric tonnes of bitumen, valued at approximately ₹20.23 lakh. Following the investigation, the CBI filed a charge sheet against all seven accused persons under Sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy), 420 (cheating), 467, 468, and 471 of the IPC, as well as Section 13(2) read with Section 13(1)(d) of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
Verdict Delivered After 17 Years
After a judicial process spanning nearly 17 years, the special CBI court delivered its verdict, convicting contractor Jhaman Prasad while acquitting the government officials due to a lack of sufficient evidence against them.
