New Delhi: Daman and Diu’s Lok Sabha MP, Umeshbhai Babubhai Patel, has approached the Supreme Court seeking a Special Investigating Team (SIT) probe into alleged financial irregularities in the handling of funds for the Union Territory’s Secretariat building project.
In his petition filed on Thursday, Patel urged the apex court not only to constitute an SIT but also to monitor its investigation. He also sought a direction to the Centre to register an FIR into the matter, alleging misuse of public money by officials of the UT administration.
The plea detailed a series of tenders issued over 3 years for the renovation and restoration of the Secretariat at Moti Daman, which it claimed led to unnecessary financial losses.
In October 2020, a tender worth Rs23.34 crore was floated for the renovation of the Secretariat building.
In September 2022, another tender was issued for demolishing the front portion of the same building at a cost of around Rs3.80 lakh.
In 2023, a third tender was floated for restoration and renovation, with an estimated expenditure of Rs12.58 crore. According to Patel, these back-to-back tenders eventually led to the Secretariat being restored to its original condition after the first renovation, causing a loss to the public exchequer without adding any real value to the infrastructure.
Patel had earlier filed a complaint before the Lokpal of India, naming Praful Khoda Patel (Administrator of the UT), Gaurav Singh Rajawat (Finance Secretary), and Saurabh Mishra (Collector, Daman) as responsible for the alleged irregularities.
The Lokpal directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to conduct a preliminary inquiry. After reviewing the report, the Lokpal on August 21, 2025, dropped further action against the officials but acknowledged that the tendering process had indeed resulted in financial loss to the government.
