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New Delhi: The midnight coup at the headquarters of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) does not constitute a respite for the government, which was targeted by quarrels between two senior officials of the agency , ALok Director Kumar Verma and Special Director Rakesh Asthana. He also can not sit by simply sending both on forced leave. In fact, there will be more and more skeletons in the closet of leading investigative agencies that are looking into expensive corruption cases.
Verma moved the Supreme Court and, in a veiled attack against the government, he claimed that the midnight sweep at the IWC had taken place when he had refused to bow to political pressure. On the other hand, his deputy is leading another battle in the Delhi High Court, seeking to annul the RIP that the IWC filed against him on the Verma order in a case of alleged bribery involving the exporter of Moin Qureshi meat.
The disorder in the IWC and the fierce battle have a dark past that has led to the creation of two camps, one calling the other "corrupt". Sources close to the Verma camp suggest that his position in the Rafale fighter agreement had moved decision makers, after Yashwant Sinha, Arun Shourie and Prashant Bhushan complained against the deal.
In addition, sources said Verma was uncomfortable with Asthana's treatment of sensitive cases despite accusations of corruption. This is where the problem becomes complicated and another investigative body, the Enforcement Branch (DE), intervenes. When Asthana was promoted to the position of Special Director of the IWC last year, the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) was informed of a newspaper containing his name, found from the Sandesara group, which is currently the subject of a survey by the Department of Income Tax, CBI and ED.
Image of representation. AFP
First post reviewed the alleged note in the newspaper sent to the CVC. It shows three entries, which appear to be account numbers, against a certain "Asthana Sir". The authenticity of log entries could not be verified independently. Nevertheless, the CVC asked the IWC to investigate the allegation and submit a report.
However, the IWC did not investigate the case and the ED also failed to respond to a letter from the vigilance group on issues related to the charges that the Sandesara group had acquitted against Asthana. But sources said the ED had insisted that he needed more time to get to the bottom of the rotten claims.
Meanwhile, the relationship between Verma and Asthana has reached a critical point. Asthana began writing at senior levels, including the CAC and the Cabinet Secretary, alleging that Verma had been biased and biased towards him. He also went a step further and alleged that his boss was trying to involve him in some cases.
Then came the Moin Qureshi case. In September, the IWC had stated that Asthana's integrity was questionable and that the agency had discovered evidence against him in at least half a dozen cases. The two officers wrote to the CVC to exchange charges in the same case. While the CBI had listed Asthana in the case on October 15 for allegedly accepting a bribe in order to defeat the investigation in the Moin Qureshi case, he had written to the secretary of the Cabinet on August 24, alleging that Sathish Babu Sana had paid 2 million crowns to Verma to avoid under investigation in the case.
On September 14, the IWC responded to a CVC opinion stating that Asthana 's complaint should be considered a desperate attempt at intimidation on the part of contaminated agents of the IBC. ;agency. Although the CVC never revealed the name of the complainant, it was presumed that the letters came from none other than Asthana.
"It is presumptive on the part of the CBI to declare that one particular person has filed a complaint against certain other specified persons," said the CVC. "The Commission never informed the IWC either of the source of the complaint or of the person for whom it was intended, but sought certain documents on the grounds that certain allegations had been received concerning the handling of such files."
The watchdog of vigilance intervenes
In September, the Commission asked the Director of the CBI to cooperate and allow the verification of certain allegations against him, as well as to bring the case to the logical conclusion of the split of the agency by submitting folders at his reading. The CVC had also informed IWC that files could be posted and re-examined.
"The files / documents have not been submitted to date (October 23) .No letter / request for postponement has even been received by the IWC commission in this regard", said CVC.
The Committee sent another reminder on 25 September that, despite a delay of 10 months, it had not received any reports from the IWC. In the absence of response, a letter was sent October 3 to Verma, asking him to attend a meeting with the Chief Commissioner in charge of Vigilance, KV Chowdary, on Oct. 4, but Verma did not it's not presented. Subsequently, the CVC wrote to Verma indicating that the competent authority had to give its authorization before any action against Asthana.
"A letter dated 15 October was sent to the Director of the IWC, indicating the apprehensions of bias and prejudice expressed by the Special Director (Asthana), and indicating that, if necessary, an investigation or investigation by the CBI vs. Under Article 17 (A) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, keep in mind, "said the CVC.
However, the IWC did not review the CVC letter and on the same day registered a lawsuit against Asthana for allegedly taking a bribe from Sathish Babu Sana through a Dubai-based intermediary. This was only the beginning of the infighting in the CBI.
One week after the submission of the confidential information report, Sai Manohar, co-director of the Special Investigation Team (SIT), sent a letter to the CVC containing a secret note from Asthana, who said he had received information from a source in the Moi Qureshi case: Sana had paid 2 crores of rupees to the director of CBI.
The CVC also indicated that the letter was sent to the co-director of SIT to inform Asthana of the daily progress of the investigation. There was also a handwritten note from Sana dated Oct. 1 in which he claimed to have already solved the problem through a contact who would have met Verma to settle the case. The commission added that the director of the CBI was not cooperating to provide files related to the corruption case in which he had been involved.
"In the meantime, a climate of hostility and factional strife has reached its peak within the IWC, which could result in a loss of reputation / credibility of the organization." Serious allegations of corruption by senior officials of the IWC, one against the other, have also been widely commented in the media, has flawed the official environment and the working environment of the organization, which has a profound and visible impact on other officers, "said CVC, explaining Verma's withdrawal in an eight-page note on Wednesday, arguing that Verma was relieved of his responsibilities in the face of" extraordinary and emergent situation " .
However, the game of darkness in the agency's electric corridors is not over yet. Verma has sought the intervention of the Supreme Court and, meanwhile, allegations against the newly appointed acting director, Mr. Nageswara Rao, have also begun to make their way into the public domain.
In addition, the "spin doctors" of the Verma and Asthana camps are trying to distance themselves by disclosing various reasons for the sudden decision of the government, including the so-called attempt by the Prime Minister's Office to protect a senior official and the keen interest of Verma. in the Rafale case.
First post had reported in August that sources from the Prime Minister's Office had refuted such allegations, stating that there was no interference, no one could question the integrity of this officer, and that investigative agencies were free to look into this case. On allegations that Asthana would be restrained in some high-profile cases, the sources said the claims were false and that such an investigation would be completed, although ED officials insisted that the fact that Asthana's role was to be investigated because of her name appearing in Sandesara's diary.
The CVC also observed that Verma did not cooperate with the commission, did not comply with its requirements and guidelines and created "voluntary obstructions" in the functioning of the commission, which is an organ constitutional.
The government is ready to face more heat in the CBI vs CBI controversy in the coming days. He must investigate the charges against Asthana and Verma and must ensure that all ongoing corruption cases reach a logical and timely conclusion. No doubt the opposition will launch a scathing attack on the government, but to restore the sanctity of corruption cases, it must carry out surgical strikes on central agencies where plots have been planned to create the current crisis.
A former IWC officer, BR Lall, wrote: "Even an honest official confronted with the orders of his political masters becomes powerless to enforce rules and values, he is seen as unfair to the system but to "Individual".
It will be utopian to accept that IWC is a free parrot, not a cage. But current circumstances require the government to launch a clean-up operation in various agencies before it's too late.
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