News Analysis India

Tag: CBI

  • CBI files FIR against three newspapers in MP for showing inflated circulation to get govt ads

    By PTI

    BHOPAL: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has said it has registered an FIR against three newspapers in Madhya Pradesh – one from Jabalpur and two from Seoni – for allegedly showing inflated circulation numbers to get government advertisements worth lakhs of rupees.

    The case was registered in Jabalpur on October 4 against the publishers/owners of the three newspapers, said the copy of the FIR that the CBI uploaded on its website.

    They have been charged under the alleged offences of criminal conspiracy, forgery and cheating based on a complaint filed by one Himanshu Kaushal at the CBI’s Jabalpur office on August 13 this year, it said.

    In his complaint, Kaushal had alleged that on the basis of the forged report of Chartered Accountants with regard to their circulation, these newspapers were receiving advertisements worth lakhs of rupees from the Directorate of Advertising and Visual Publicity (DAVP), an agency of the government of India, for the last many years.

    The DAVP is now the Bureau of Outreach and Communication (BOC).

    The complainant alleged that these three dailies were small category newspapers, but they registered themselves in the medium category by showing their false enhanced circulation, the FIR said.

    The reason behind this is that, the advertising rates are different for small and medium categories newspapers and the provision of budget for medium category is approximately double, it added.

    “The allegations levelled in the complaint, prima facie, disclose commission of cognizable offences of criminal conspiracy, cheating, forgery for the purpose of cheating, using forged documents as genuine, and criminal misconduct, by the accused persons. Hence, this FIR is registered accordingly,” the central investigative agency has said.

  • Post-poll violence: HC unhappy as Bengal government lawyer has no information on compliance of compensation order

    By PTI

    KOLKATA: The Calcutta High Court on Monday expressed displeasure at the West Bengal government’s lawyer having no information on compliance of its order to the administration to pay compensation to victims of post-poll violence, observing that it displays a “total casual attitude in a serious matter.”

    The CBI and a Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the West Bengal Police submitted separate status reports before the court on the progress of investigation in cases of post-poll violence in the state as per an order of a five-judge bench on August 19.

    A division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Rajesh Bindal and Justice Rajarshi Bharadwaj noted that the counsel appearing for the state does not have any information on compliance with a direction by the five-judge bench that ordered the West Bengal government to take immediate action to pay compensation to the victims of crime as per the state’s policy.

    The counsel representing the state sought time to inform the court on the issue.

    “This apparently shows total casual attitude in a serious matter,” the bench observed.

    The division bench also noted that Justice Manjula Chellur, retired chief justice of Calcutta High Court, who had been requested by this court to monitor the working of the SIT, had not been taken into confidence in the state government’s decision to spare the services of 10 additional IPS officers to assist the SIT comprising three senior IPS officers of West Bengal cadre.

    The bench further said the report submitted by the SIT does not reflect any request by it to spare the services of the 10 IPS officers and certain other officers to assist it for different zones of the state and the West Bengal government had taken the decision on its own.

    “It further transpires from the report that certain advocates have been appointed as legal advisers to advise on various issues with each of the zonal teams. Even for that purpose, Justice Chellur has not been taken into confidence,” the division bench said.

    The bench said the status report of the CBI states that 40 FIRs have been filed by it so far in connection with post-poll violence cases and charge sheets have been filed in seven cases after investigation.

    A five-judge bench presided by the Acting Chief Justice had on August 19 ordered a CBI investigation into all cases of alleged murder and crime against women regarding rape or attempt to rape in post-poll violence in West Bengal.

    Passing judgment in PILs seeking independent probe in alleged violence in the state following the state assembly elections, the bench had ordered the constitution of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) comprising three IPS officers of West Bengal cadre for monitoring probe in all other cases.

    The bench, also comprising justices I P Mukerji, Harish Tandon, Soumen Sen and Subrata Talukdar directed that both the investigations will be monitored by the high court and ordered the CBI and the SIT to submit their status report before it within six weeks from date.

    The bench had ordered the West Bengal government to pay compensation to the victims of crime as per the policy of the state, after due verification and directed that the amount would be directly transferred to their bank accounts.

    It had directed that the matter would be placed for hearing before a division bench on October 4 for further hearing.

    A fact-finding committee into allegations of human rights violations in post-poll violence formed by the NHRC chairman on the order of the high court had on July 13 submitted its final report to the five-judge bench.

  • Post-poll violence: SC defers to October 22 hearing on Bengal’s suit against CBI probe

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court Monday deferred to October 22 the hearing of West Bengal government’s lawsuit alleging that CBI is pressing ahead with investigation into the post-poll violence cases in the state without securing its nod as per the law.

    A bench headed by Justice L Nageswara Rao clarified it would not grant any more adjournments in the matter and said it would hear the plea after the Dussehra holidays.

    “Notice has been served on the Union of India before September 20, 2021 as per the office report. There is no appearance on behalf of the Union of India. List this matter on October 22. Any objections by the respondent may be filed in the meanwhile,” said the bench, also comprising Justice B R Gavai.

    Senior advocate Kapil Sibal appeared for the West Bengal government in the matter.

    The West Bengal government, in its original civil suit under Article 131 of the Constitution, referred to the provisions of the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act 1946 and said that the Central Bureau of Investigation has been proceeding with the probe and filing FIRs without getting the nod from the state government as mandated under the statute.

    Under Article 131 the apex court has original jurisdiction to deal with disputes between the Centre and states.

    The CBI recently lodged multiple FIRs in cases of post-poll violence in West Bengal.

    The state government sought a stay of investigations into the FIRs lodged into post-poll violence cases by CBI in pursuance of the Calcutta High Court order.

    The plea said that as the general consent given to the central agency by the Trinamool Congress government has been withdrawn, the FIRs lodged cannot be proceeded with.

    The suit filed through advocate Suhaan Mukerji also sought stay for any such FIR in future.

  • Police atrocity: Yogi government recommends CBI probe into death of Kanpur businessman

    By PTI

    LUCKNOW: The Uttar Pradesh government on Friday recommended a CBI probe into the death of Kanpur businessman Manish Gupta allegedly after being thrashed by police in Gorakhpur.

    A recommendation to this effect has been made to the central government on the directives of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Awanish K Awasthi said in a press statement.

    Till the time the CBI takes over the inquiry, the special investigating team set up for the purpose will probe the matter, transferring the case to Kanpur from Gorakhpur, the statement said.

    The government has also ordered appointment of the businessman’s wife Meenakshi Gupta as an officer on special duty (OSD) in the Kanpur Development Authority.

    The chief minister has directed for enhancing the financial help to the bereaved family to Rs 40 lakh, the statement added.

    Adityanath had on Thursday met relatives of the businessman.

    The 36-year-old businessman had died after being allegedly assaulted by the police at a Gorakhpur hotel which they had raided on Monday night.

  • No limitation of territory when apex court nominates CBI to conduct probe, says SC

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court Friday said when the CBI is nominated and entrusted with the investigation of a case by the apex court, there is no limitation of territory, and the jurisdiction is vested across India to probe that matter.

    “We are very clear, once this court appoints CBI to investigate a crime, the jurisdiction is vested by virtue of the court order,” said a bench of justices A M Khanwilkar and C T Ravikumar.

    The bench further said, “when the appointment is made by the court, there is no limitation on CBI about territory.”

    The top court was hearing a plea against the order of the Punjab and Haryana High Court which had dismissed the petitions raising the issue of territorial jurisdiction in a matter probed by the CBI.

    The high court had passed the order on the pleas seeking setting aside of the October 2016 order of a special judge, CBI, Patiala, dismissing the petitions for dropping the proceedings on the alleged ground that the CBI does not have the territorial jurisdiction to register a case in Jammu regarding alleged abduction and killing of a man in Punjab.

    The CBI had earlier told the trial court that the case was registered at Jammu after the probe agency had conducted a preliminary enquiry in compliance with the November 1995 order passed by the apex court.

    While hearing the matter on Friday, the apex court observed that when the CBI is nominated by the court order, jurisdiction is vested in the probe agency across India to investigate that case.

    The trial court had noted that a case was registered by the CBI in February 1997 at Jammu alleging abduction and killing of a person in Punjab.

    It had been noted that the charge sheet was prepared at Jammu by the CBI and it was filed before it.

    The applicants before the trial court had claimed that registration of the case at Jammu was illegal as no part of the alleged offence was committed within Jammu and Kashmir.

    The CBI had argued before the trial court that in compliance with the November 1995 order passed by the apex court in a petition pertaining to the “mass cremation of unidentified dead bodies by the Punjab Police”, a preliminary enquiry was registered by the agency in December 1995.

    It had said that during the enquiry, this case was registered in February 1997.

    The CBI had also told the trial court that on the basis of the result of the preliminary enquiry, various cases were registered, and to cope up with a load of investigation, the case was registered at CBI Jammu.

  • Saradha case: HC rejects Manoranjana Sinh’s plea for quashing of proceedings

    By PTI

    KOLKATA: The Calcutta High Court on Friday refused a prayer by Manoranjana Sinh seeking quashing of proceedings against her in connection with the multi-crore Saradha chit fund scam, being investigated by the CBI.

    Sinh moved the high court as the trial in the case before the additional chief judicial magistrate at Alipore court in Kolkata is not proceeding even though the charge sheet was filed more than five years back on January 4, 2016, her lawyer submitted.

    “In our opinion the present petition can be disposed of giving liberty to the petitioner to raise all the issues available to her at appropriate stage of the case including framing of charge,” a division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Rajesh Bindal and Justice Arijit Banerjee said in its judgement.

    The bench directed the lower court to expedite trial in the case as the petitioner living in Delhi is facing trial at Kolkata.

    The division bench said use of video conferencing facility can be explored by the trial court for recording of evidence, wherever possible.

    The bench noted that the petitioner had appeared before the trial court in Kolkata 27 times and her personal appearance was exempted.

    The Saradha group allegedly cheated thousands of depositors, promising abnormally high returns on investments in its illegal schemes.

    Sinh’s lawyer submitted that she was arrested on October 7, 2015 and was granted bail by the Supreme Court on February 6, 2017.

    He claimed that much before the scam was unearthed in 2013, a commercial agreement was signed in 2010, under which Sinh and her company were to promote the business and image of the Group.

    Appearing for the CBI, Additional Solicitor General Y J Dastoor submitted that the only argument advanced on behalf of the petitioner was on the basis of an alleged agreement entered into between her and Bengal Media Ltd, represented by Sudipta Sen, owner of Saradha Group of Companies.

    Dastoor submitted that on the basis of the agreement, the petitioner sought to establish that she was unaware that the money, approximately Rs 21.05 crore she received, came from the Saradha Group of Companies.

  • Sunil Tiwary case: Wife seeks CBI probe, Jharkhand HC sends notice to DGP, others

    By PTI

    RANCHI: The High Court of Jharkhand on Thursday issued notices to the state chief secretary and the director general of police after the wife of BJP leader Sunil Tiwary, who was arrested from in a sexual exploitation case, filed a petition seeking CBI probe into the matter.

    The bench of Justice S K Dwivedi also issued a notice to the senior superintendent of police of Ranchi in connection with the case.

    Tiwary, a close associate of BJP Legislature Party leader Babulal Marandi, was accused of raping his domestic help, who belongs to a scheduled tribe, last year.

    She is belongs to a scheduled tribe.

    The case was registered in Argora police station on August 16 this year for offences under the Indian Penal Code and the SC/ST Act.

    He was arrested on September 12.

    The BJP leader’s wife Lalima Tiwary has filed a criminal writ petition seeking a CBI probe.

    She alleged that her husband has been framed due to political vendetta.

    In her petition, Lalima Tiwary claimed that ever since her husband had made statements in the Rupa Tirkey case, he has been targeted by the ruling dispensation.

    Tirkey, a sub-inspector of police, had died allegedly by suicide in May at her government accommodation at Sahebganj.

    The high court will hear the matter again on November 11.

  • Dabholkar murder case: CBI submits list of documents, witnesses to court

    By PTI

    PUNE: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday submitted to a special court here a list of documents and witnesses that it would like to rely upon in the trial of rationalist Dr Narendra Dabholkar murder case.

    The list was submitted to Additional Sessions Judge S R Navandar (special judge for UAPA cases).

    On September 15, the court had framed charges against the five accused in the case.

    While it had charged four accused under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), the fifth accused was charged only with the destruction of evidence.

    “As charges have been framed, we submitted a list of documents and witnesses related to the case in the court that the prosecution would like to rely upon,” special public prosecutor Prakash Suryawanshi said.

    The defence would file its say on the submitted list of documents and witnesses, he added.

    Dabholkar (67), who headed the Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti, an anti-superstition outfit, was shot dead in Pune on August 20, 2013, allegedly by members of a right-wing extremist group.

    The CBI has been conducting a probe into the case which was earlier with the Pune police.

    Virendra Sinh Tawde, Sachin Andure, Sharad Kalaskar, Sanjeev Punalekar and Vikram Bhave are five accused in the case.

    The court framed the charges against Tawde, Andure, Kalaskar and Bhave under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 302 (murder), 120 (B) (criminal conspiracy), 34 (common intention), relevant sections of the Arms Act and section 16 of the stringent UAPA) (punishment for terrorist act).

    Besides, charges were framed against Punalekar under IPC section 201 (causing disappearance of evidence or giving false inform to screen offender).

    Meanwhile, the defence moved a plea before the court along with an article published in a Marathi daily seeking to initiate a process to issue a contempt of court notice against the author, editor and the publication for publishing the article.

    According to the defence’s application, the (author) of the article claims that this court (of additional sessions judge, before whose court the trial us undergoing) is conducting a trial without authority as the case involved section under UAPA.

  • Gujarat: Congress targets Modi government over Mundra Port drug haul

    By PTI

    AHMEDABAD: Congress on Thursday attacked the BJP-led government at the Centre over the seizure of heroin worth Rs 21,000 crore at the Mundra port in Gujarat, and demanded a “detailed probe” by all the key agencies including the CBI.

    The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) seized 2,988.21 kg of heroin from two containers at the Mundra port in Kutch district two weeks ago and subsequently arrested eight persons including five foreign nationals.

    Holding a press conference here, Congress’ national spokesperson Pawan Khera also questioned why the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), which has the mandate to fight drug menace, does not have a full-time Director General at present.

    “Some media reports claimed that before this seizure, 25 tonnes of heroin had arrived at the same port in June and made its way to other parts of the country without being detected. Gujarat, the land of Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Patel, is slowly becoming drugs capital of the country,” Khera said.

    “Who are the bigger players behind this entire racket? Who is running this network?” he asked.

    Why narcotic substances are landing at this port “on a regular basis” and not at other ports, the Congress leader further questioned.

    Notably, the Adani Group which runs the Mundra port had earlier issued a statement saying that only government authorities including the DRI are allowed to open, examine and seize unlawful cargo, and not port operators.

    Khera demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah take steps to bust the drug network.

    He also asked why the government has not appointed a full-time DG of the NCB.

    Capturing smuggled drug consignments was the NCB’s job, the Congress spokesperson said.

    “The BJP government can not escape its responsibility. Congress will force the government to provide answers. We want the Centre to conduct a detailed inquiry through all the key agencies such as CBI and NCB,” he said.

  • Mahant death case: CBI seizes laptop, documents from Anand Giri’s Haridwar ashram

    Express News Service

    DEHRADUN: After grilling six people for 16 hours, a CBI team on Thursday seized ‘incriminating’ documents, a laptop left from Haridwar with Anand Giri for Prayagraj on Thursday.

    The eight-member CBI team arrived in Haridwar on Wednesday with Anand Giri, a disciple of deceased Mahant Narendra Giri, at around 7 pm on Wednesday.

    A member of the local police team, comprising over a dozen members including circle officer Abhai Singh, said, “The team conducted the search operations in the ashram extensively, questioned six people, and seized a laptop and a lot of many documents.”

    ALSO READ | In video shot before death, Narendra Giri names Anand Giri, 2 others for abetment to suicide

    The team took the accused Anand Giri to his ashram in Gajiwali village of Haridwar on the bank of river Ganga where the search was conducted for more than 7 hours resulting in the recovery of a laptop and documents. 

    The agency is looking for an alleged video that was to be released to defame Mahant Narendra Giri as mentioned in his suicide note too. 

    The team also questioned six people which included some ‘disciples’ of the accused Anand Giri. 

    Mahant Narendra Giri, president of the Akhil Bhartiya Akhada Parishad, top body of all 13 prominent akhadas of India, had committed suicide by hanging in Baghambari Mutt in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh.  He had named Anand Giri along with two others for abetment to suicide in his five-page note.