News Analysis India

Tag: CBI

  • CBI files fourth charge sheet in Bengal post-poll violence probe

    By PTI

    KOLKATA: The CBI filed the fourth chargesheet in the ongoing probe into the post-poll violence cases in West Bengal, sources said on Saturday.

    The chargesheet was filed at Krishnanagar court in Nadia district in connection with the killing of a BJP worker allegedly by Trinamool Congress members, they said.

    The chargesheet contains names of the two accused allegedly involved in the murder of the BJP worker after the assembly election results were announced on May 2, they added.

    The Calcutta High Court last month directed the CBI to probe the post-poll violence cases.

    So far, the CBI has filed 34 FIRs in connection with murders and other heinous crimes perpetrated after the election results were announced.

    The agency has already filed three chargesheets in different courts in connection with incidents that happened in Bhatpara in North 24 Parganas, and Nalhati and Rampurhat in Birbhum district.

  • CBI summons Bengal minister over chit fund scam, Mamata hits out at nephew’s grilling

    By Express News Service

    KOLKATA: The CBI on Wednesday issued a notice summoning West Bengal Commerce and Industry Minister Partha Chatterjee on September 13 in connection with the I-Core chit fund scam case. Another central agency the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had interrogated Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s nephew for nine hours on Monday at its Delhi office in connection with a coal smuggling and money laundering case.

    Mamata Banerjee, while addressing a workers’ meet on Wednesday, lambasted the Centre over the ED’s notice summoning Abhishek Banerjee. “The BJP could not accept the verdict of Bengal’s electorate in the Assembly elections and they are now using central agencies to meet their political purpose. What is the reason behind summoning Abhishek to Delhi and questioning him for nine hours?” she said.

    ALSO READ: BJP’s Bengal unit shaken up by large-scale migration of foot soldiers to TMC

    Chatterjee was allegedly seen in some of the public events organised by the I-Core which was charged with duping depositors by offering them abnormally high returns on their investments. The CBI had earlier summoned Chatterjee in March this year.

    Referring to the Assembly election in Nandigram, Mamata alleged she fell victim of a conspiracy which led to her defeat in the East Midnapore Assembly constituency. “Government officials were transferred deliberately before the election and a conspiracy was hatched against me,” she alleged.

    The Election Commission of India announced the by-election in Bhowanipore Assembly constituency from where Mamata will contest to get elected as an MLA to continue as the Chief Minister. Her deadline to get elected ends on November 5.

  • Dhanbad judge hit-and-run case: CBI increases bounty to Rs 10 lakh for tip-off

    Express News Service

    RANCHI: Clueless over the alleged murder of Additional District and Sessions Judge Uttam Anand, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has increased the bounty from Rs 5 lakh to 10 lakh for providing worthwhile information related to the case. Earlier on August 15, the CBI had announced a reward of Rs 5 lakh for providing any kind of information related to the alleged murder case.

    CBI officials investigating the case said posters announcing that the reward amount has been increased to Rs 10 lakh were put up all over Dhanbad.

    According to the posters, “If any person has any kind of knowledge or information of importance related to his murder, he/she may kindly provide it to Vijay Kumar Shukla, Superintendent of Police (I/C), Investigation Officer, CBI, New Delhi, Camp – Dhanbad, on the phone numbers given below. Cash reward of Rs 10 lakh will be given to the person furnishing worthwhile information related to the crime.” The name of the informant will be kept secret, it added.

    CCTV footage showing an auto-rickshaw intentionally hitting judge Uttam Anand from behind on a deserted road has raised doubts over his death while he was on his morning walk on July 28. The incident took place near Golf Ground less than 500 metres from his house at Judge Colony in Hirapur.

    The autopsy report revealed that the victim had several injuries on his head, chest and back. “All the injuries, caused by hard and blunt substance, took place before the death. Death of the deceased was caused due to head injury before 6-18 hours of the post-mortem,” stated the autopsy report.

    The case was referred to the CBI on the recommendations of Chief Minister Hemant Soren following which a team from the agency has been camping in Dhanbad to investigate the matter.

  • Bengal post-poll violence: CBI conducts raid at TMC leader’s residence

    By PTI

    SURI: A team of CBI officials raided TMC leader Lalan Ghosh’s residence in West Bengal’s Birbhum district on Tuesday, as part of its investigation into cases of post-poll violence, agency sources said.

    The probe team visited Gopalpur village in Illambazar police station area of the district, where BJP worker Gourab Sarkar was beaten to death shortly after the assembly poll results were declared on May 2, and conducted raids at Ghosh’s residence, the sources said.

    Several documents, including a mobile phone, were seized from the TMC leader’s home, they said.

    ​ALSO READ | West Bengal post-poll violence: CBI detains six persons in Howrah

    The central agency has so far filed 34 FIRs, and made three arrests in connection with the post-poll violence cases — two in Nadia and one in North 24 Parganas.

    The Calcutta high court had, on August 19, ordered that probe into cases of alleged rape and murder in the aftermath of the assembly elections be held by the CBI, taking note of an NHRC report in the matter.

    The West Bengal government has moved the Supreme Court challenging the high court order that directed a court-monitored CBI investigation into the cases.

  • New SOPs to make probe of ministers, public servants in graft cases tough

    By Express News Service

    NEW DELHI:  The government’s new Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for investigation under Section 17A of the amended Prevention of Corruption Act, may make it difficult for investigating officers to proceed against ministers or public servants. 

    Issued on September 3, the SOP is aimed at streamlining the process of anti-corruption probe like providing for stage-wise processing of information received by police officers, specification of the rank of police officers vis-a-vis public servants. 

    According to the SOP, a probe officer who finds material against a government servant will have to seek approval from a designated officer who would take a call if the case is fit for the “enquiry, inquiry or investigation”.

    For Union Ministers, CMs, SC judges and PSU chiefs only a DGP or in case of CBI, the director can approve the probe. 

    For senior bureaucrats and senior management in the PSU, it can be DGP/ Director or ADG rank officers. While IGs can decide on middle management, DIGs on junior officers. 

    A former CBI director explained that had the provision existed at the time of 2G and coal scam cases, the agency would have found it extremely difficult to charge sheet secretary-level officers.

    Section 17A already makes its mandatory for seeking government’s nod before initiating a probe or even questioning any bureaucrat unless caught red handed in an act of corruption.

    Another CBI official pointed out that crucial evidence is collected mostly during the stage of preliminary enquiry.

    “If a PE is rejected for lack of material at the prior approval stage, it can prove to be the wrong decision in number of cases.” 

    An official, who has worked in the anti-corruption unit of a state, however, said there was nothing much new in the SOP.

    “This system is in place since 2018. The check list will make it easier for the designated officer to decide if permission should be given or not.”  

  • What steps have you taken to strengthen prosecution unit, remove deficiencies: SC to CBI

    It asked the CBI director to inform it about the steps taken or proposed to be taken to address the inadequacies in manpower, infrastructure facility and the quality of investigation

  • CBI makes third arrest in West Bengal’s post-poll violence cases

    By PTI

    KOLKATA: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested a person in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district in connection with its probe into a case of post-poll violence in the state, an agency source said on Friday.

    Ratan Halder, an accused in the murder of a BJP worker’s mother following the declaration of assembly election results on May 2, was apprehended from Jagaddal area, the source said.

    The central agency had on August 28 arrested two more persons -Bijoy Ghosh and Asima Ghosh — in Nadia district for allegedly being involved in the murder of a saffron party worker after the announcement of the poll results.

    The CBI had on Thursday filed a chargesheet in another case of post-poll violence in Birbhum district — its first since being handed over the probe into “heinous crimes”.

    The chargesheet, submitted before the Rampurhat court, contains names of two accused allegedly involved in the murder of a BJP worker.

    The Calcutta High Court had, on August 19, ordered that probe into cases of alleged murder and rape be carried out by the CBI.

    So far, the agency has filed a total of 34 FIRs against those allegedly involved in murder or other heinous atrocities on BJP workers.

  • Former Calcutta HC Chief Justice to oversee SIT probe on post-poll violence in Bengal

    By PTI

    KOLKATA: A five-judge bench of the Calcutta High Court on Friday said former Chief Justice of this court Manjula Chellur will oversee the functioning of an SIT formed by it to probe alleged post-poll violence cases other than rape and murder.

    The bench had, in its judgement on August 19 on a batch of PILs seeking an independent probe into incidents of violence after the Assembly elections in West Bengal, directed the CBI to investigate all alleged cases of heinous crimes like rape and murder.

    The bench, headed by Acting Chief Justice Rajesh Bindal, said Justice (retd) Chellur will oversee the functioning of the SIT formed by it to probe into other post-poll violence cases in the state.

    The Special Investigation Team included Suman Bala Sahoo, Soumen Mitra and Ranveer Kumar, all IPS officers of the West Bengal cadre.

    The bench had directed that the SIT would be entitled to take assistance of any other police officer or any institution or agency for carrying out a fair investigation into the cases.

    The bench, also comprising justices I P Mukerji, Harish Tandon, Soumen Sen and Subrata Talukdar, had said that both the investigations would be monitored by the high court and ordered the CBI and the SIT to submit their status report before it within six weeks from August 19.

    The West Bengal government has appointed ten IPS officers to assist the SIT.

  • Maharashtra government has given documents to CBI for probe against Anil Deshmukh: HC told

    Additional Solicitor General Anil Singh said the central agency would go through the documents and check if the court orders have been complied with.

  • CBI arrests ex Maharashtra minister Anil Deshmukh’s lawyer Anand Daga

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The CBI has arrested former Maharashtra Home minister Anil Deshmukh’s lawyer Anand Daga for allegedly trying to subvert the probe against him, officials said.

    Daga, arrested from Mumbai, has been brought to Delhi on transit remand where he will be produced before a competent court, they said.