News Analysis India

Tag: CBI

  • Jairam Ramesh seeks CBI probe into Amit Shah’s ‘Sangma govt most corrupt’ remark

    By IANS

    NEW DELHI/SHILLONG: Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh has asked the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to summon Home Minister Amit Shah over his remark describing Meghalaya government headed by Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma, in its previous term, as “most corrupt” and to investigate the claim.

    Attaching his letter to CBI Director Subodh Kumar Jaiswal, he tweeted: “I have written to the Director of CBI asking CBI to question the Home Minister further on his categorical assertion that Conrad Sangma’s Govt in Meghalaya was the most corrupt in the country

    “That of course did not prevent BJP from supporting the same Conrad Sangma again”.

    Ramesh, in his letter to Jaiswal, said that Shah had said in his public speech on February 17 that the then Meghlaya government headed by Sangma was the most corrupt government in the country.

    “Amit Shah is also the Home Minister of India. In his capacity as the Home Minister, he would surely have had access to information and facts that led him to the above conclusion. For some inexplicable reasons, the Home Minister, who is also the former national President of Bharatiya Janata Party, has failed to act upon the information regarding the corrupt practices and instances of the then Meghalaya government,” he said.

    Ramesh requested the CBI Director to summon Shah and ask him to submit all the information and facts that led him to state assessment and investigate the matter.

    “We also urge you to investigate if the Home Minister of India was under any undue duress from his party or other forces, to suppress the information related to the corruption of Meghalaya, in order to enable his party Bharatiya Janata Party to support the same Chief Minister after the recent Meghalaya elections,” the letter said.

    The Congress letter also attached media reports on Shah’s remarks during the campaigning for Meghalaya Assembly polls, held on February 27.

    The Congress leaders in Meghalaya have been criticising the BJP for supporting a government led by National People’s Party chief Sangma even after terming the previous government led by the same party as the “most corrupt”.

    The Congress also termed the NPP led coalition formed for the second consecutive term as a “marriage of convenience”.

    The BJP with two MLAs is a part of the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) government dominated by the NPP, which secured 26 seats in the 60-member Assembly. Various other local parties are supporting the MDA government. 

    NEW DELHI/SHILLONG: Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh has asked the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to summon Home Minister Amit Shah over his remark describing Meghalaya government headed by Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma, in its previous term, as “most corrupt” and to investigate the claim.

    Attaching his letter to CBI Director Subodh Kumar Jaiswal, he tweeted: “I have written to the Director of CBI asking CBI to question the Home Minister further on his categorical assertion that Conrad Sangma’s Govt in Meghalaya was the most corrupt in the country

    “That of course did not prevent BJP from supporting the same Conrad Sangma again”.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    Ramesh, in his letter to Jaiswal, said that Shah had said in his public speech on February 17 that the then Meghlaya government headed by Sangma was the most corrupt government in the country.

    “Amit Shah is also the Home Minister of India. In his capacity as the Home Minister, he would surely have had access to information and facts that led him to the above conclusion. For some inexplicable reasons, the Home Minister, who is also the former national President of Bharatiya Janata Party, has failed to act upon the information regarding the corrupt practices and instances of the then Meghalaya government,” he said.

    Ramesh requested the CBI Director to summon Shah and ask him to submit all the information and facts that led him to state assessment and investigate the matter.

    “We also urge you to investigate if the Home Minister of India was under any undue duress from his party or other forces, to suppress the information related to the corruption of Meghalaya, in order to enable his party Bharatiya Janata Party to support the same Chief Minister after the recent Meghalaya elections,” the letter said.

    The Congress letter also attached media reports on Shah’s remarks during the campaigning for Meghalaya Assembly polls, held on February 27.

    The Congress leaders in Meghalaya have been criticising the BJP for supporting a government led by National People’s Party chief Sangma even after terming the previous government led by the same party as the “most corrupt”.

    The Congress also termed the NPP led coalition formed for the second consecutive term as a “marriage of convenience”.

    The BJP with two MLAs is a part of the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) government dominated by the NPP, which secured 26 seats in the 60-member Assembly. Various other local parties are supporting the MDA government.
     

  • Land for jobs scam: Tejashwi to appear before CBI; not to be arrested this month

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI:  The CBI on Thursday assured the Delhi High Court it will not arrest Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav this month, after which the politician agreed he will appear before the central probe agency on March 25 for questioning in connection with a case related to the alleged land for jobs scam.

    Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma recorded the CBI counsel’s statement that the agency was not thinking about arresting Tejashwi Yadav this month.

    Following the assurance, senior advocate Maninder Singh, representing Tejashwi Yadav, submitted to the court his client will appear on March 25 before the investigating officer at CBI headquarters in Delhi at 10:30 am.

    Noting the submissions by both parties, the high court disposed of the petition, in which Tejashwi Yadav has sought quashing of the summons issued to him by the Central Bureau of Investigation.

    RJD supremo and former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav’s son Tejashwi in his plea said he had requested the investigating officer through multiple letters to allow him some time as the current Bihar Assembly session will conclude on April 5.

    He said he had requested that either he be allowed to appear in the CBI office at Patna or if any information or documents are required from his side then he shall provide the same through his authorised representative at New Delhi.

    The case relates to alleged appointments made in the railways in return for land parcels gifted or sold to Lalu Prasad Yadav’s family when he was the railway minister between 2004 and 2009.

    The CBI, in its chargesheet, alleged that irregular appointments were made in the railways, violating norms and procedures of the Indian Railways for recruitment.

    READ MORE:

    Land for jobs scam: Court grants bail to Lalu, Rabri and Misa Bharti

    ED’s ‘Rs 600 cr crime proceeds’ rumours, make panchnama public: Tejashwi

    NEW DELHI:  The CBI on Thursday assured the Delhi High Court it will not arrest Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav this month, after which the politician agreed he will appear before the central probe agency on March 25 for questioning in connection with a case related to the alleged land for jobs scam.

    Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma recorded the CBI counsel’s statement that the agency was not thinking about arresting Tejashwi Yadav this month.

    Following the assurance, senior advocate Maninder Singh, representing Tejashwi Yadav, submitted to the court his client will appear on March 25 before the investigating officer at CBI headquarters in Delhi at 10:30 am.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    Noting the submissions by both parties, the high court disposed of the petition, in which Tejashwi Yadav has sought quashing of the summons issued to him by the Central Bureau of Investigation.

    RJD supremo and former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav’s son Tejashwi in his plea said he had requested the investigating officer through multiple letters to allow him some time as the current Bihar Assembly session will conclude on April 5.

    He said he had requested that either he be allowed to appear in the CBI office at Patna or if any information or documents are required from his side then he shall provide the same through his authorised representative at New Delhi.

    The case relates to alleged appointments made in the railways in return for land parcels gifted or sold to Lalu Prasad Yadav’s family when he was the railway minister between 2004 and 2009.

    The CBI, in its chargesheet, alleged that irregular appointments were made in the railways, violating norms and procedures of the Indian Railways for recruitment.

    READ MORE:

    Land for jobs scam: Court grants bail to Lalu, Rabri and Misa Bharti

    ED’s ‘Rs 600 cr crime proceeds’ rumours, make panchnama public: Tejashwi

  • Suvendu writes to PM Modi seeking action against Mamata in Saradha scam

    By Express News Service

    KOLKATA: West Bengal’s Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari on Monday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking his intervention for action against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in the Saradha chit fund scam.

    Labelling Mamata as the scam’s “biggest beneficiary”, Suvendu expressed concern over the CBI’s “slow-paced” investigation and questioned the central agency’s “incomprehensible scepticism and hesitation” in getting the TMC supremo convicted.

    Adhikari, in the letter, alleged, “The CBI was handed over the responsibility of the investigation because it was a scam which involved thousands of crores collected from the public allegedly because of the patronage of people occupying high positions in the system.”

    “The CBI was expected to nail the person occupying the highest position in the system,” he wrote.

    Referring to Mamata’s ‘position in the system, he wrote, “Is this why the CBI is hesitant? Or has the height of her chair made them reluctant to act against her? But wasn’t it the primary reason for handing over the investigation to the CBI? So that the position of the high & mighty doesn’t deter them from acting against them and bringing them to justice.”

    Adhikari also alleged that Banerjee’s association with Saradha goes back to the time when she was the railway minister in the UPA-2 government.

    When the ruling Trinamool Congress alleged on several occasions that the CBI and other central agencies are working at the behest of the BJP, Adhikari expressed his unhappiness with the probe’s progress several times in the letter.

    Claiming that Mamata’s link to the scam is “well established,” Adhikari wrote, “Why is CBI going slow regarding Mamata Banerjee and making no progress as such? The lack of action is resulting in the erosion of the faith of the people of West Bengal in the premier investigating agency.”

    Concluding his plea, he wrote, “I hope you (Modi) would consider this plea of the people of West Bengal and see to it that the culprits are punished strictly as per the law of the land.”

    KOLKATA: West Bengal’s Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari on Monday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking his intervention for action against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in the Saradha chit fund scam.

    Labelling Mamata as the scam’s “biggest beneficiary”, Suvendu expressed concern over the CBI’s “slow-paced” investigation and questioned the central agency’s “incomprehensible scepticism and hesitation” in getting the TMC supremo convicted.

    Adhikari, in the letter, alleged, “The CBI was handed over the responsibility of the investigation because it was a scam which involved thousands of crores collected from the public allegedly because of the patronage of people occupying high positions in the system.”googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    “The CBI was expected to nail the person occupying the highest position in the system,” he wrote.

    Referring to Mamata’s ‘position in the system, he wrote, “Is this why the CBI is hesitant? Or has the height of her chair made them reluctant to act against her? But wasn’t it the primary reason for handing over the investigation to the CBI? So that the position of the high & mighty doesn’t deter them from acting against them and bringing them to justice.”

    Adhikari also alleged that Banerjee’s association with Saradha goes back to the time when she was the railway minister in the UPA-2 government.

    When the ruling Trinamool Congress alleged on several occasions that the CBI and other central agencies are working at the behest of the BJP, Adhikari expressed his unhappiness with the probe’s progress several times in the letter.

    Claiming that Mamata’s link to the scam is “well established,” Adhikari wrote, “Why is CBI going slow regarding Mamata Banerjee and making no progress as such? The lack of action is resulting in the erosion of the faith of the people of West Bengal in the premier investigating agency.”

    Concluding his plea, he wrote, “I hope you (Modi) would consider this plea of the people of West Bengal and see to it that the culprits are punished strictly as per the law of the land.”

  • Lalu reaping what he sowed: BJP leaders on CBI team at Rabri Devi’s residence

    By PTI

    PATNA: BJP leaders in Bihar on Monday asserted that the Central Bureau of Investigation was “doing its job as an independent agency” in cases against RJD president Lalu Prasad who was “reaping what he had sown”.

    Leaders of the saffron party, which is in opposition in the state but in power at the Centre, were approached with queries on a CBI team reaching the residence of Rabri Devi, Prasad’s wife and a former CM herself.

    Officials said that a CBI team visited the residence of former Bihar chief minister Rabri Devi in connection with “further probe” in the land for jobs scam case. There is no search or raid taking place, they said.

    The CBI team reached 10, Circular Road, a stone’s throw from the official residence of the chief minister and the Raj Bhavan in connection with a case pertaining to the period when Prasad was the railway minister, in the UPA-1 government.

    “Lalu Prasad’s brush with CBI has been long. The fodder scam cases, in which he has been convicted, were lodged much before the BJP came into the picture,” said senior BJP leader and former state minister Nitin Nabin.

    He pointed out “the fodder scam cases were registered when the Centre was ruled by the United Front, of which he was a part. The complainants included Shivanand Tiwary, now his party’s national vice president, and Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan, who heads the JD(U), his current ally”.

    Jibesh Kumar Mishra, another BJP leader and ex-minister, said, “Lalu Prasad got first convicted in a fodder scam case in 2013, when the Congress-led UPA, of which his party was a part, ruled the Centre”.

    “The CBI is an independent agency and doing its job. Allegations of political vendetta are baseless. Lalu Prasad and his family are reaping what he has sown (jaisi karni vaisi bharni),” the BJP leader added.

    The officials said the CBI had already filed its charge sheet in the land for jobs scam case and the special court summoned the accused, including Prasad and his family members and others on March 15.

    The agency has kept the further probe open into the alleged scam, they said.

    The visit of the CBI team is in connection with further investigation in the case, they added.

    PATNA: BJP leaders in Bihar on Monday asserted that the Central Bureau of Investigation was “doing its job as an independent agency” in cases against RJD president Lalu Prasad who was “reaping what he had sown”.

    Leaders of the saffron party, which is in opposition in the state but in power at the Centre, were approached with queries on a CBI team reaching the residence of Rabri Devi, Prasad’s wife and a former CM herself.

    Officials said that a CBI team visited the residence of former Bihar chief minister Rabri Devi in connection with “further probe” in the land for jobs scam case. There is no search or raid taking place, they said.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    The CBI team reached 10, Circular Road, a stone’s throw from the official residence of the chief minister and the Raj Bhavan in connection with a case pertaining to the period when Prasad was the railway minister, in the UPA-1 government.

    “Lalu Prasad’s brush with CBI has been long. The fodder scam cases, in which he has been convicted, were lodged much before the BJP came into the picture,” said senior BJP leader and former state minister Nitin Nabin.

    He pointed out “the fodder scam cases were registered when the Centre was ruled by the United Front, of which he was a part. The complainants included Shivanand Tiwary, now his party’s national vice president, and Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan, who heads the JD(U), his current ally”.

    Jibesh Kumar Mishra, another BJP leader and ex-minister, said, “Lalu Prasad got first convicted in a fodder scam case in 2013, when the Congress-led UPA, of which his party was a part, ruled the Centre”.

    “The CBI is an independent agency and doing its job. Allegations of political vendetta are baseless. Lalu Prasad and his family are reaping what he has sown (jaisi karni vaisi bharni),” the BJP leader added.

    The officials said the CBI had already filed its charge sheet in the land for jobs scam case and the special court summoned the accused, including Prasad and his family members and others on March 15.

    The agency has kept the further probe open into the alleged scam, they said.

    The visit of the CBI team is in connection with further investigation in the case, they added.

  • Grave irregularities found in 13 out of 22 educational institutions in scholarship scam

    By PTI

    SHIMLA: Grave irregularities have been found in 13 out of 22 educational institutions which are on the radar of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the Rs 250-crore scholarship scam, agency sources said.

    Investigations revealed that these 13 institutions took scholarships in the name of about 2,000 fictitious students, sources in the CBI said.

    The accounts and other documentation of the remaining institutions are yet to be checked, they added.

    Scrutiny of documents, accounts and data procured from computers and other related material of these institutions located in Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh by the CBI revealed that scholarship fund was siphoned and scholarship was taken in the name of students who either did not exist or had left the institutions, sources added.

    These institutions bagged a major chunk of the scholarship amount.

    The scam started in 2012-13 when the scholarship for pre-matric and post-matric students belonging to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes under 36 schemes were not paid to eligible beneficiaries.

    The scam remained hidden for almost five years as the person who created the online portal for disbursement of scholarship was also responsible for transferring the amount.

    The matter came to light in 2018 following reports that students of government schools in tribal Spiti valley in Lahaul and Spiti district had not been paid any scholarship for the past five years.

    Investigations had pointed out that fake letterheads to show false affiliation were used by some institutions to mislead the education department which failed to ensure physical verification of infrastructure and strength of students.

    The other discrepancies included non-submission of Aadhaar numbers of students by institutions, use of same Aadhaar accounts to withdraw scholarships of multiple students who did not exist and opening of fake accounts in nationalised banks.

    In order to grab the scholarship money, the institutions allegedly used the blank cheques and vouchers submitted at the time of admission, allegedly in connivance with some employees of nationalised banks which opened the accounts without Aadhaar verification.

    The management allegedly gave their own phone numbers as registered numbers of students so that they receive SMSes regarding transactions and withdraw the money.

    More than Rs 28 crore of post-matric scholarship money for SC/ST/OBC students was disbursed to nine fake institutions in Una, Chamba, Sirmaur and Kangra districts running under one name without affiliation from the competent bodies.

    The key accused, the then Superintendent Grade-II of the Department of Higher Education (dealing with disbarment of scholarship), was arrested and it was found that his wife had 33 per cent stakes in these institutions.

    The CBI had registered a case under sections 409, 419, 465, 466 and 471 of the IPC for criminal breach of trust, forgery and cheating here on May 8, 2019.

    During the course of investigations, it was found that 80 per cent of the scholarship money was paid to private institutions.

    So far four charge sheets have been filed in the case against more than 16 people, including directors of the erring institutions, employees of the education department and bank staffers.

    SHIMLA: Grave irregularities have been found in 13 out of 22 educational institutions which are on the radar of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the Rs 250-crore scholarship scam, agency sources said.

    Investigations revealed that these 13 institutions took scholarships in the name of about 2,000 fictitious students, sources in the CBI said.

    The accounts and other documentation of the remaining institutions are yet to be checked, they added.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    Scrutiny of documents, accounts and data procured from computers and other related material of these institutions located in Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh by the CBI revealed that scholarship fund was siphoned and scholarship was taken in the name of students who either did not exist or had left the institutions, sources added.

    These institutions bagged a major chunk of the scholarship amount.

    The scam started in 2012-13 when the scholarship for pre-matric and post-matric students belonging to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes under 36 schemes were not paid to eligible beneficiaries.

    The scam remained hidden for almost five years as the person who created the online portal for disbursement of scholarship was also responsible for transferring the amount.

    The matter came to light in 2018 following reports that students of government schools in tribal Spiti valley in Lahaul and Spiti district had not been paid any scholarship for the past five years.

    Investigations had pointed out that fake letterheads to show false affiliation were used by some institutions to mislead the education department which failed to ensure physical verification of infrastructure and strength of students.

    The other discrepancies included non-submission of Aadhaar numbers of students by institutions, use of same Aadhaar accounts to withdraw scholarships of multiple students who did not exist and opening of fake accounts in nationalised banks.

    In order to grab the scholarship money, the institutions allegedly used the blank cheques and vouchers submitted at the time of admission, allegedly in connivance with some employees of nationalised banks which opened the accounts without Aadhaar verification.

    The management allegedly gave their own phone numbers as registered numbers of students so that they receive SMSes regarding transactions and withdraw the money.

    More than Rs 28 crore of post-matric scholarship money for SC/ST/OBC students was disbursed to nine fake institutions in Una, Chamba, Sirmaur and Kangra districts running under one name without affiliation from the competent bodies.

    The key accused, the then Superintendent Grade-II of the Department of Higher Education (dealing with disbarment of scholarship), was arrested and it was found that his wife had 33 per cent stakes in these institutions.

    The CBI had registered a case under sections 409, 419, 465, 466 and 471 of the IPC for criminal breach of trust, forgery and cheating here on May 8, 2019.

    During the course of investigations, it was found that 80 per cent of the scholarship money was paid to private institutions.

    So far four charge sheets have been filed in the case against more than 16 people, including directors of the erring institutions, employees of the education department and bank staffers.

  • Rajasthan police officer’s suicide: Warrant against Cong MLA Krishna Poonia

    By IANS

    JAIPUR: A bailable warrant was issued against former Olympian and Sadulpur (Churu) MLA Krishna Poonia on Tuesday. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court has issued an order for Poonia to appear on March 4. The MLA is accused of inciting Vishnudutt Bishnoi, the then SHO Rajgarh (Churu) police station in Bikaner division, to commit suicide.

    On May 23, 2020, Vishnudutt Bishnoi, the then station officer of Rajgarh, had committed suicide. Vishnudutt’s brother Sandeep Bishnoi had accused Krishna Poonia of harassing him. Sandeep lodged a police complaint stating that Krishna Poonia was responsible for Vishnudutt’s suicide.

    The matter was earlier investigated by the CB CID. The local people demanded handing over the investigation to the CBI. After this, the state government handed over the case to the CBI which had imposed FR in its investigation. The FR report was submitted to the ACMM (CBI), Jodhpur. Here the court dismissed the FR while ordering a re-investigation of the case. Also, it summoned Krishna Poonia, issuing a bailable warrant against her.

    A screenshot of a WhatsApp chat between the SHO and his activist friend went viral where the police officer claimed that he was “being trapped in dirty politics at the local level”.

    However, the representative of Krishna Poonia, Virendra Poonia said: We are completely innocent in this case. We will appeal this in the High Court.

    It has been accepted in the CBI report that Poonia used to call the police. He was also upset because of this.

    After Vishnudutt’s suicide, his minor son also hanged himself at home. He was a student of class XI and was quite upset over his father’s death. After the death of both father and son, the whole family was broken.

    Vishnudutt Bishnoi had written two suicide notes. One suicide note was written to his family members, the other to the then Churu SP Tejaswini Gautam. In this, he wrote: Respected madam, sorry, please, so much pressure was created around me that I could not bear the stress. I tried to give my best to Rajasthan Police till my last breath. It is requested not to disturb anyone. I was not a coward. Just couldn’t take the stress. I am my own culprit.

    Meanwhile, Krishna Poonia speaking to the media said, “I haven’t received the court warrant yet and have received information only from the media. I’ve been interrogated once but have not been called anywhere for further probe,” she added.

    JAIPUR: A bailable warrant was issued against former Olympian and Sadulpur (Churu) MLA Krishna Poonia on Tuesday. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court has issued an order for Poonia to appear on March 4. The MLA is accused of inciting Vishnudutt Bishnoi, the then SHO Rajgarh (Churu) police station in Bikaner division, to commit suicide.

    On May 23, 2020, Vishnudutt Bishnoi, the then station officer of Rajgarh, had committed suicide. Vishnudutt’s brother Sandeep Bishnoi had accused Krishna Poonia of harassing him. Sandeep lodged a police complaint stating that Krishna Poonia was responsible for Vishnudutt’s suicide.

    The matter was earlier investigated by the CB CID. The local people demanded handing over the investigation to the CBI. After this, the state government handed over the case to the CBI which had imposed FR in its investigation. The FR report was submitted to the ACMM (CBI), Jodhpur. Here the court dismissed the FR while ordering a re-investigation of the case. Also, it summoned Krishna Poonia, issuing a bailable warrant against her.

    A screenshot of a WhatsApp chat between the SHO and his activist friend went viral where the police officer claimed that he was “being trapped in dirty politics at the local level”.

    However, the representative of Krishna Poonia, Virendra Poonia said: We are completely innocent in this case. We will appeal this in the High Court.

    It has been accepted in the CBI report that Poonia used to call the police. He was also upset because of this.

    After Vishnudutt’s suicide, his minor son also hanged himself at home. He was a student of class XI and was quite upset over his father’s death. After the death of both father and son, the whole family was broken.

    Vishnudutt Bishnoi had written two suicide notes. One suicide note was written to his family members, the other to the then Churu SP Tejaswini Gautam. In this, he wrote: Respected madam, sorry, please, so much pressure was created around me that I could not bear the stress. I tried to give my best to Rajasthan Police till my last breath. It is requested not to disturb anyone. I was not a coward. Just couldn’t take the stress. I am my own culprit.

    Meanwhile, Krishna Poonia speaking to the media said, “I haven’t received the court warrant yet and have received information only from the media. I’ve been interrogated once but have not been called anywhere for further probe,” she added.

  • Mumbai: CBI arrests GST superintendent in Rs 10 lakh bribery case

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The CBI has arrested a superintendent of GST in Mumbai for allegedly demanding a bribe of Rs 10 lakh from a businessman, officials said Monday.

    The agency acted on a complaint from scrap trader Zakir Hussain Shah in Mumbai who had alleged that GST Superintendent B Someshwar Rao had demanded Rs 20 lakh from him to settle liability of Rs 1.25 crore, they said.

    The complainant alleged that Rao and another official had threatened to arrest him in case he failed to make the payment to them, the officials said, adding that the accused allegedly refused to accept additional documents that chartered accountant of the dealer wanted to submit.

    According to CBI, Shah then pleaded with Rao to reduce the bribe amount as he did not have the capacity to pay such a hefty amount.

    Rao allegedly reduced the bribe to Rs 9 lakh but later increased it to Rs 10 lakh for delay in payment.

    After receiving the complaint, the CBI did a discreet verification of the allegation which prima facie appeared to be true, the officials said.

    The agency later arrested Rao who has been sent to police custody by a special court in Mumbai, they said.

    NEW DELHI: The CBI has arrested a superintendent of GST in Mumbai for allegedly demanding a bribe of Rs 10 lakh from a businessman, officials said Monday.

    The agency acted on a complaint from scrap trader Zakir Hussain Shah in Mumbai who had alleged that GST Superintendent B Someshwar Rao had demanded Rs 20 lakh from him to settle liability of Rs 1.25 crore, they said.

    The complainant alleged that Rao and another official had threatened to arrest him in case he failed to make the payment to them, the officials said, adding that the accused allegedly refused to accept additional documents that chartered accountant of the dealer wanted to submit.

    According to CBI, Shah then pleaded with Rao to reduce the bribe amount as he did not have the capacity to pay such a hefty amount.

    Rao allegedly reduced the bribe to Rs 9 lakh but later increased it to Rs 10 lakh for delay in payment.

    After receiving the complaint, the CBI did a discreet verification of the allegation which prima facie appeared to be true, the officials said.

    The agency later arrested Rao who has been sent to police custody by a special court in Mumbai, they said.

  • 9 states have withdrawn general consent to CBI

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Nine states, including Telangana and Meghalaya, have withdrawn general consent given to the Central Bureau of Investigation for probing certain offences, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said on Wednesday.

    As per section 6 of the Delhi Special Police Establishment (DSPE) Act, 1946, the CBI needs consent from the respective state governments to conduct investigations in their jurisdiction, he said in reply to a written question in Lok Sabha.

    In terms of the provision of section 6 of the DSPE Act, 1946, the state governments have granted general consent to the CBI for the investigation of a specified class of offences against specified categories of persons, enabling the agency to register and investigate those specified matters, Singh, the Minister of State for Personnel, said.

    Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Kerala, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Punjab, Rajasthan, Telangana and West Bengal have withdrawn general consent to the CBI to investigate cases, he added.

    NEW DELHI: Nine states, including Telangana and Meghalaya, have withdrawn general consent given to the Central Bureau of Investigation for probing certain offences, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said on Wednesday.

    As per section 6 of the Delhi Special Police Establishment (DSPE) Act, 1946, the CBI needs consent from the respective state governments to conduct investigations in their jurisdiction, he said in reply to a written question in Lok Sabha.

    In terms of the provision of section 6 of the DSPE Act, 1946, the state governments have granted general consent to the CBI for the investigation of a specified class of offences against specified categories of persons, enabling the agency to register and investigate those specified matters, Singh, the Minister of State for Personnel, said.

    Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Kerala, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Punjab, Rajasthan, Telangana and West Bengal have withdrawn general consent to the CBI to investigate cases, he added.

  • Bengal: Kin protest outside CBI office with body of Bogtui violence accused who died in custody

    By PTI

    KOLKATA: Demanding action against the CBI over the custodial death of Lalan Sheikh, one of the main accused in the Rampurhat massacre, his family demonstrated outside the agency’s office in West Bengal’s Birbhum district with the body on Wednesday.

    Sheikh was found hanging in the washroom of the CBI camp office in Rampurhat on Monday.

    As police handed Sheikh’s body to his family after the post-mortem at the Rampurhat Medical College and Hospital, they took it to the CBI office and started a demonstration.

    They also got into a scuffle with security personnel guarding the office.

    Family members of Lalan Sheikh with villagers protest outside the camp office of CBI, in Birbhum. (Photo | PTI)

    “CBI officers are responsible for Lalan’s death. We want them to be punished. They must be arrested immediately or else we will not conduct the last rites of my husband,” said Sheikh’s wife Reshma Bibi.

    “Why was I not allowed to see my husband after his death? There must be something mysterious,” she claimed.

    Family members of Lalan Sheikh with villagers protest outside the camp office of CBI, in Birbhum. (Photo | PTI)

    A senior police officer said they were talking to the family so that the last rites can be performed.

    CBI claimed that Sheikh, one of the main accused in the killing of 10 people, died by suicide.

    At least 10 people were killed as their houses in the Bogtui village in Rampurhat were allegedly firebombed in the dead of the night on March 21 after the murder of local TMC leader Bhadu Sheikh.

    Meanwhile, the state CID took over the investigation into the custodial death and sought the post-mortem report from the district police, a senior officer said.

    KOLKATA: Demanding action against the CBI over the custodial death of Lalan Sheikh, one of the main accused in the Rampurhat massacre, his family demonstrated outside the agency’s office in West Bengal’s Birbhum district with the body on Wednesday.

    Sheikh was found hanging in the washroom of the CBI camp office in Rampurhat on Monday.

    As police handed Sheikh’s body to his family after the post-mortem at the Rampurhat Medical College and Hospital, they took it to the CBI office and started a demonstration.

    They also got into a scuffle with security personnel guarding the office.

    Family members of Lalan Sheikh with villagers protest outside the camp office of CBI, in Birbhum. (Photo | PTI)

    “CBI officers are responsible for Lalan’s death. We want them to be punished. They must be arrested immediately or else we will not conduct the last rites of my husband,” said Sheikh’s wife Reshma Bibi.

    “Why was I not allowed to see my husband after his death? There must be something mysterious,” she claimed.

    Family members of Lalan Sheikh with villagers protest outside the camp office of CBI, in Birbhum. (Photo | PTI)

    A senior police officer said they were talking to the family so that the last rites can be performed.

    CBI claimed that Sheikh, one of the main accused in the killing of 10 people, died by suicide.

    At least 10 people were killed as their houses in the Bogtui village in Rampurhat were allegedly firebombed in the dead of the night on March 21 after the murder of local TMC leader Bhadu Sheikh.

    Meanwhile, the state CID took over the investigation into the custodial death and sought the post-mortem report from the district police, a senior officer said.

  • Bengal: Birbhum killing prime suspect found dead in CBI custody

    Express News Service

    KOLKATA:  The prime accused in Birbhum’s Bogtui massacre, in which 12 persons, including two children, were charred to death, was found dead in the CBI’s custody under mysterious circumstances on Monday.

    The CBI sources said that Lalan Sheikh (50) was found hanging inside the toilet adjoining to the room where he was lodged in the CBI’s camp office in Rampurhat. The doctors, who examined the body, are yet to ascertain whether Lalan died by suicide.

    On March 21, four houses were set ablaze in Bogtui, which was said to be revenge for the murder of the local deputy chief of a Trinamool Congress-dominated gram panchayat Bhadu Sheikh. Preliminary investigation revealed the massacre was a sequel to a rivalry between two factions within the TMC over the issue of collecting money from illegal sand mining.

    Lalan was arrested on December 4. The CBI was handed over the probe by the Calcutta High Court and the central agency arrested a total of 21 accused in connection with the massacre.  As the mass killing, the first time since Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee assumed office in 2011, became a tool of the BJP to raise hue and cry alleging deteriorating law and order situation in the state, the Bengal CM visited the spot and directed the police to arrest the TMC’s local block president Anarul Hossain.

    Police arrested Hossain, who was at large for days, within three hours of Mamata’s instruction. Meanwhile, the CBI has asked the NHRC to conduct an inquiry into the death of Lalan.

    KOLKATA:  The prime accused in Birbhum’s Bogtui massacre, in which 12 persons, including two children, were charred to death, was found dead in the CBI’s custody under mysterious circumstances on Monday.

    The CBI sources said that Lalan Sheikh (50) was found hanging inside the toilet adjoining to the room where he was lodged in the CBI’s camp office in Rampurhat. The doctors, who examined the body, are yet to ascertain whether Lalan died by suicide.

    On March 21, four houses were set ablaze in Bogtui, which was said to be revenge for the murder of the local deputy chief of a Trinamool Congress-dominated gram panchayat Bhadu Sheikh. Preliminary investigation revealed the massacre was a sequel to a rivalry between two factions within the TMC over the issue of collecting money from illegal sand mining.

    Lalan was arrested on December 4. The CBI was handed over the probe by the Calcutta High Court and the central agency arrested a total of 21 accused in connection with the massacre.  As the mass killing, the first time since Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee assumed office in 2011, became a tool of the BJP to raise hue and cry alleging deteriorating law and order situation in the state, the Bengal CM visited the spot and directed the police to arrest the TMC’s local block president Anarul Hossain.

    Police arrested Hossain, who was at large for days, within three hours of Mamata’s instruction. Meanwhile, the CBI has asked the NHRC to conduct an inquiry into the death of Lalan.