The Gauhati High Court on Friday ordered the Central Bureau of Investigation to take over the probe into the Louis Berger bribery case in Assam. The bench directed the Criminal Investigation Department to handover the case to the agency, The Telegraph reported.

United States-based firm Louis Berger had pleaded guilty before a New Jersey court to allegations that it had paid bribes to the governments of Assam and Goa to secure contracts as consultants in water supply projects.

“The CID is under the state government, and since high-ranking officials were involved in awarding the contracts after taking huge amount of bribe, we are of the view that the CID is not in a position to act independently to bring the investigation to a logical conclusion,” the court order said.

The High Court also asked the state government and the police to cooperate with the investigation. “The case diary shall be submitted by the CID in a sealed cover to the custody of the Registrar General of the Gauhati High Court, who shall hand over the same, after completing necessary formalities, to the CBI,” the order added, according to The Assam Tribune.