Pune: The Mumbai High Court has cleared all charges against Vipin Mali, a Senior Technical Officer of the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), in a case filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in 2019.
The case, which revolved around alleged financial losses caused during the procurement of air quality and weather observation systems, has now been closed in favor of the accused.
The case was based on the IITM’s System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR) project, specifically the installation of air quality monitoring and digital display systems in urban areas.
In 2012, IITM had awarded a contract worth ₹4.66 crore to Mumbai-based Video Wall India, which supplied 12 outdoor and 5 indoor display systems for installation in Pune. The procurement decision was made after recommendations from the institute’s Commercial Evaluation Committee.
Seven years later, in 2019, the CBI launched an investigation after receiving reports of irregularities in the supply and installation of the digital display systems.
During the investigation, a CBI team removed a tile from one of the display systems and sent it for testing at the College of Engineering Pune (COEP). COEP’s testing revealed that the LED display units did not match the specifications outlined in the original tender notice.
Based on this, the CBI accused Video Wall India of sourcing lower-quality, cheaper LED display units from China and conspiring with IITM officials, including Vipin Mali, to defraud the institute.
The CBI filed charges under several sections of the IPC, including cheating (Section 420) and forgery (Sections 465, 468, 471), as well as conspiracy (Section 120-B). Additionally, Mali and others were charged under Sections 13(2) and 13(1)(d) of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
However, Mali’s defense argued that the entire procurement process had been conducted in accordance with IITM’s established procedures, and that no personal responsibility could be attributed to him.
They emphasized that the procurement decisions were made by both technical and commercial committees, and that blaming Mali alone for the alleged discrepancies was unjustified.
Additionally, the decisions of both committees were ultimately approved by the director of IITM. After reviewing the arguments, Justice Sandeep Marne of the Mumbai High Court acquitted Vipin Mali, clearing him of all charges.
