News Analysis India

Tag: CBI

  • CBI takes over Indo-Tibetan Border Police ‘fake appointment’ letters case

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The CBI has taken over investigation in ITBP recruitment scam in which 24 unsuccessful candidates from across the country were conned with fake appointment letters to join the force, officials said.

    These candidates had appeared in the examination for the post of Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) constables in 2014-15 and 2016 but could not clear the selection process, they said.

    However, they reached the force’s offices with fake recruitment letters to join duties, leaving ITBP officials surprised.

    The candidates were from across the country carrying “recruitment letter” in spite of being unsuccessful in their tests, they said.

    The ITBP officials spotted a mobile number on their letters with instructions to make contact on it, they said.

    The candidates were also asked to deposit some money as “training charges” in bank accounts prior to joining their duties, they said.

    Some of these candidates were lured by the letter and scrupulously deposited the money in those accounts, they said.

    It was clear that the candidates from Assam, Punjab, Andaman, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Kerala, Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh were issued fake recruitment letters even as genuine candidates were cleared after the due process and recruitment process was completed already, they said.

    The agency has registered a case of criminal conspiracy, cheating and forgery, they said.

  • Kolkata businessman interrogated by CBI in coal pilferage case

    By PTI
    KOLKATA:The Central Bureau of Investigation on Saturday interrogated a Kolkata-based businessman in connection with its probe into the multi-crore coal pilferage scam, an official said.

    Randhir Kumar Barnwal was quizzed by the CBI officers a day after the central agency raided his office premises and residence here.

    The CBI had served a notice to him to appear before its Nizam Palace office here on Saturday for its investigation into the case, the official said.

    Incidentally, the central agency and the Enforcement Directorate had on Friday conducted search operations at various places in West Bengal in connection with the scam.

    Both the agencies are concurrently probing the illegal coal mining case.

    The CBI is looking after the criminal aspect of it and the ED is delving into the money laundering angle of the scam.

    A CBI team had examined Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee’s wife Rujira on Tuesday in connection with the coal pilferage case.

    Earlier, searches were conducted at the residences and offices of people who are “considered close to Anup Majhi alias Lala” — the main accused in the coal scam, the CBI official said.

    Majhi has been absconding since the agency had initiated searches in connection with the case in November last year.

    A lookout notice has been issued to Majhi to ascertain his whereabouts, as his interrogation was vital for the probe, the CBI had said earlier.

    The central agency had, on November 28 last year, conducted raids at 45 places, including 25 in West Bengal, in connection with its investigation into the case.

    Majhi is believed to be involved in the illegal coal mining in the Asansol-Raniganj belt of Eastern Coalfields Ltd.

  • Bank-fraud case: CBI carries out searches against Rohtak-based firm

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The CBI has booked Rohtak-based Lakshmi Precision Screws Limited for an alleged fraud of Rs 176.28 crore involving a consortium of banks and carried out searches at five locations in connection with the case on Friday, officials said.

    Besides the company, its directors Lalit Kumar Jain, Rajesh Kumar Jain, Vijay Kumar Jain and others were also booked in the case, they said.

    “It has been alleged that the said private company, through its proprietor and directors and in a conspiracy with others, defrauded the consortium of banks by misrepresentation or concealment of facts and false documents or information, making diversion of funds and disposing off mortgaged properties without the consent of the banks.

    An alleged loss of Rs 176.28 crore (approximately) was caused to the consortium of banks — Canara Bank and State Bank of India,” CBI spokesperson Joshi said.

    The company founded in 1968 became public three years later.

    Engaged in the manufacturing of high tensile fasteners, the company had business with the Canara Bank since 1986.

    Now, it was being financed by a consortium of the Canara Bank and the State Bank of India.

    The account became a non-performing asset in 2018 and was declared a fraud the next year, the bank alleged in the complaint which is now part of the FIR, the officials said.

    Searches were conducted at five places including Rohtak on Friday, which led to the recovery of incriminating documents, Joshi said.

  • Hathras case: Court accepts CBI chargesheet against 4 accused, next hearing on March 2

    Express News Service
    LUCKNOW: The Special Court (SC/ST court) of Hathras on Friday framed charges against the four accused of the Hathras gangrape and murder case after hearing out both sides.

    The CBI had framed gangrape and murder charges against the four accused — Sandeep, Ravi, Ramu, and Lavkush.

    During the hearing, the victim’s family, the four accused, and CBI investigative officer DySP Seema Pahuja was present in the court. The accused were brought from Aligarh Jail under tight security. The court has posted the matter for March 2 for the next hearing.

    The Special Court had already rejected bail applications of the three accused — Ravi, Ramu, and Lavkush. The fourth accused Sandeep is yet to apply for bail. After framing of charges, all the four accused were sent back to jail.

    It may be recalled that a Dalit girl, 19, was gang-raped and brutalised allegedly by the four youths of Boolgarhi village under Chandpa police station area in Hathras district on September 14, 2020. The incident took place when the victim had gone to the field along with her mother to collect fodder for thecattle. 

    ALSO READ | ED files first chargesheet against PFI; claims it wanted to spread terror after Hathras rape case

    After the incident, the girl was admitted to a district hospital in critical condition and was later taken to Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College of AMU in Aligarh. But as her condition deteriorated, she WAS shifted to Safdarjung Hospital in Delhi ON September 28, 2020, but succumbed to her injuries onSeptember 29, 2020. 

    All the four accused were arrested before her death on September 23, 2022. The girl had given a dying declaration, on September 22, 2020, before a magistrate confirming gang rape and physical assault by the accused.

    The case had triggered a nationwide outrage following the cremation of the victim’s body by the Hathras police in a hush-hush manner against the family’s wish in the dead of night on September 30, 2020. Yogi Adityanath’s government then recommended a CBI probe into the case.

    Following the investigation, the CBI filed a charge-sheet in 67 days against the four accused in the Special Court under Sections 376, 376A, 376D, 302 of the IPC, and Section 3 (2)(5) of the SC/ST Act.

  • UK court’s judgement in Nirav Modi case significant, should serve as reminder to all fugitives: CBI

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The CBI on Thursday termed the judgement of a UK court in the Nirav Modi’s case as “significant” and said it should serve as a reminder to all fugitives, who have indulged in large value frauds, that they cannot escape the law merely by changing their countries of residence.

    In a statement, the CBI said the court order vindicated the painstaking probe carried out by the agency especially since Modi had raised various issues on admissibility of evidence, fairness of investigation, trial, prison conditions, availability of health facilities in India and extraneous consideration, with a view to divert attention from his own acts.

    Earlier, the Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London accepted the contention of the Indian government to extradite Modi saying that the evidence against him “is prima facie sufficient to order his extradition to India to face the charges”.

    The court also upheld the assurances of India and rejected the submissions of defence regarding human rights violations, fair trial and prison conditions and decided to send Modi’s case to the Secretary of the State, UK for final decision.

    The “judgement is a significant achievement in the context of CBI’s efforts to curb corruption and is a reminder that fugitives, who have eluded the process of law after commission of large value frauds, cannot consider themselves above the process merely because they have changed jurisdictions”, the CBI said.

    It said the agency “gracefully acknowledges the painstaking and continuous efforts made by the counsels of Crown Prosecution service in forcefully presenting India’s case and also the efforts of various government agencies, especially officers of High Commission of India in London, Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of External Affairs, in coordinating the extradition trial, timely submission of evidences and assurances and prompt follow up of the case at all stages”.

    The CBI had registered the case on January 31, 2018 against the partner of three private firms and others including then officials of Punjab National Bank on a complaint from Punjab National Bank on the allegations that the accused had hatched a criminal conspiracy amongst themselves to defraud the Punjab National Bank to the tune of Rs 6,498 crore (approx) by fraudulently issuing Letters of Undertaking.

    During investigation, the CBI conducted searches at 42 premises and arrested 15 people.

    Several witnesses were examined and voluminous documents were collected.

    ALSO READ | Will liaise with UK authorities for Nirav Modi’s early extradition: MEA

    Investigation showed that the accused officials of the Punjab National Bank, in conspiracy with said owners of the firms and others, had fraudulently issued a large number of LoUs to overseas banks for obtaining Buyer’s credit in favour of said three firms without any sanctioned limit or cash margin and without making entries in the CBS system of the bank.

    The first charge sheet was filed on May 14, 2018 against 25 accused including Modi.

    The second charge sheet was filed on December 20, 2019 against 30 accused people including the 25 chargesheeted earlier in respect of 150 outstanding fraudulent LoUs which had resulted in wrongful loss of Rs 6805 crore (approx.) to PNB.

    It was also alleged that Modi in conspiracy with other accused had siphoned off the funds obtained as buyer’s credit through dummy companies established by him in Dubai and Hong Kong which were shown as exporter of Pearls to three Nirav Modi firms and importer of Pearl studded jewellery from his firms.

    Modi had escaped from India on January 1, 2018 before registration of case in CBI.

    A non bailable arrest warrant was issued by the trial court against him followed by a red corner notice in June 2018 by Interpol.

    He was arrested by the UK Police in London in March 2019 and his repeated applications for bail, were rejected by the Westminster Magistrates’ Court and High Court, London.

    After second charge sheet was filed, additional evidences were submitted to the Court in London for the total fraud amount of Rs.6805 crore (approx.).

    In addition, second extradition request for the offences of intimidating the witnesses and destruction of evidence was also submitted to the UK government.

    The extradition proceedings against Modi were initiated before the Westminster Magistrate Court in London.

    In extradition requests, CBI submitted voluminous oral and documentary evidence to substantiate the charges of criminal conspiracy, cheating, criminal breach of trust, criminal misconduct by public servants, destruction of evidence and criminal intimidation of evidence.

    The hearing of first extradition request was held in Westminster Magistrates’ Court, London during May, 2020 and the hearing of second extradition request was held during September, 2020.

    The video of a barrack of Arthur Road Prison, Mumbai, was submitted by India which was also played in the court.

    The hearing on admissibility of the evidence was held on November 3, 2020 and the final submissions by the both sides were made before the court in January, 2021.

  • CBI at Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek’s residence to examine his wife in coal pilferage case

    By PTI
    KOLKATA: A CBI team visited the residence of Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee on Tuesday to examine his wife Rujira in the coal pilferage case, officials said.

    Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee visited the residence of her nephew Abhishek in south Kolkata’s Harish Mukherjee Road minutes before the CBI team landed there.

    The CBI’s visit to Abhishek’s residence comes after Rujira told the central agency that she will be available for examination between 11 am and 3 pm on February 23, replying to a notice that the sleuths had hand-delivered her on Sunday.

    The agency sought the examination of Rujira Banerjee to ascertain the details of her bank transactions, suspecting a connection to the proceeds of the illegal coal excavation money, sources said.

    On Monday, the CBI examined Rujira’s sister Menaka Gambhir in connection with the same case. Two woman officers of the CBI visited Gambhir’s residence off EM Bypass and had examined her for nearly three hours.

    The developments come months ahead of the assembly elections in the state with Trinamool Congress alleging it to be a political vendetta.

    The CBI on November 28 last year carried out a massive search operation in a number of locations across four states — West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh — after registering a case against one Anup Majhi alias Lala.

    It is alleged that Lala, the alleged kingpin of the scam, is involved in illegal mining and theft of coal from leasehold mines of ECL in Kunustoria and Kajora areas, sources said.

  • CBI grills sister-in-law of Mamata’s nephew in coal pilferage case

    By Express News Service
    KOLKATA: With less than two months to go for the Assembly polls in West Bengal, a team of eight CBI officers grilled the sister-in-law of Abhishek Banerjee, the nephew of CM Mamata Banerjee, at her south Kolkata residence in connection with a coal pilferage case.

    Meanwhile, the ED issued notice to the daughter of Urban Development Minister Firhad Hakim in connection with suspicious fund siphoning overseas.

    The CBI had on Sunday issued a notice on Abhishek’s wife Rujira in the coal smuggling case. She responded on Monday saying she would be available at her residence from 11 am to 3 pm to reply to CBI’s questions.

    The CBI team had to wait outside the housing complex of Maneka Gambhir, Abhishek’s sister-in-law, for over 20 minutes as the guards did not allow the vehicles of the central agency to enter. The security guards told the officers that the journalists would enter the premises if their vehicles were allowed. However, the officers got of their vehicles and walked into Maneka’s apartment.

    ALSO READ | Illegal coal mining in Bengal: SC seeks CBI’s reply on plea challenging its jurisdiction to probe

    “We interrogated her for three hours and recorded her statement. She co-operated with us,” said a CBI officer, adding the agency might interrogate her again, if necessary.

    The CBI had registered an FIR in November 2020, against businessman Anup Kumar Majhi alias Lala and two general managers and security officials of the Eastern Coalfield Ltd (ECL). It is alleged that Manjhi is involved in illegal mining and theft of coal from leasehold mines of ECL.

    Since the FIR was lodged, the BJP, without naming Abhishek Banerjee, has been alleging involvement of several Trinamool Congress leaders and the “nephew”, who, they claimed, were instrumental in siphoning off the money earned from the sales of smuggled coal into the fund of the ruling party. In all the campaigns, BJP’s national leadership never missed opportunities to hit out at the Bengal CM on her nephew issue.  

  • Illegal coal mining in Bengal: SC seeks CBI’s reply on plea challenging its jurisdiction to probe

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear a plea challenging the Calcutta High Court order which allowed the CBI to investigate a case of alleged illegal mining and transportation of coal in West Bengal without the State’s consent.

    The top court also refused to grant protection to Anup Majee, the director of a company engaged in purchase and sale of the dry fuel, who is accused in a case of alleged illegal coal trading in the Asansol-Raniganj belt of West Bengal.

     A bench of Justices DY Chandrachud and M R Shah issued notice to Centre and CBI and sought their response by March 1 on the plea, which claimed that the central probe agency lacked jurisdiction to lodge an FIR in the case after the withdrawal of general consent by the State government in 2018.

    During the hearing, senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Majee said the CBI’s appeal before the division bench of the high court was not maintainable and therefore the order passed on February 12, was without any jurisdiction.

    He said that the order of a single judge bench of February 3, was not appealable as it was passed under criminal jurisdiction.

    The bench said that it will have to look at the rules of appellate side of the High Court and asked Rohatgi about the nature of proceedings before the single judge.

    Rohatgi replied that it was for quashing of FIR lodged by the CBI against the petitioner and others.

    Senior advocate AM Singhvi, appearing for West Bengal government, said that he supports the contention of Majee on the question of law as there was no consent given to the CBI to investigate the case after West Bengal withdrew its general consent.

    The bench said that since both the State and petitioner are aggrieved, notice needs to be issued to CBI and the concerned parties need to be heard at length on the issue.

    It asked Rohatgi what are the appellate rules of the Calcutta High Court to which he said that no rules empowers that appeal of criminal jurisdiction be filed and it has been clarified by various verdicts of the court.

    He said that allegation against Majee is that he is involved in illegal coal mining but all these averments are politically motivated.

    Rohatgi sought protection from any coercive action for two weeks claiming that he may be arrested on Tuesday as he has also been summoned by the Enforcement Directorate.

    The bench said that nothing would happen to him at this time and refused to pass any order granting protection from any coercive action.

    On February 12, a division bench of the Calcutta High Court had stayed a single bench order that had restricted a CBI investigation into alleged illegal mining and transportation of coal to just “railway areas” of the state and rejected the plea of Majee for grant of protection from any coercive action against him.

    It has been observed that if the process of investigation is stalled at this stage, material evidence which may have to be collected can get lost and the accused may be able to achieve the objective for which “frivolous litigation” has been filed.

    It had noted that the case pertains to illegal mining and transportation of coal through railways in connivance with officers of the Eastern Coalfield Limited, the CISF and some individuals, including petitioner Majee.

    The High Court had said that the process of investigation against other accused arrayed in the FIR will also get jeopardised.

    It stayed the February 3 single bench order that said that the CBI is authorised to continue its investigation in respect of the FIR “within the railway areas” situated in West Bengal.

    West Bengal government had contended that since permission to the CBI to carry out any probe in the state was withdrawn on November 16, 2018, no investigation for offences committed within its territorial jurisdiction can be conducted by the central agency.

    CBI had submitted before the High Court that even if the state has withdrawn the consent for investigation of the cases by the CBI, the same cannot be withdrawn with reference to the railway areas.

    The CBI is probing the alleged illegal trading of coal in the State and Majee is the director of a company engaged in purchase and sale of the dry fuel.

    On February 3, the single judge bench of the High Court had said that the CBI is not authorised to conduct physical raids or active investigation into other areas of West Bengal than the railway areas as defined under the Railways Act.

    It had, however, said that the Central probe agency can summon and interrogate witnesses residing in the state, even in places other than railway areas for the purpose of investigation.

    The court had directed that the CBI can conduct investigation pertaining to the FIR in places beyond the railway areas “subject to specific consent being granted by appropriate authorities of the state of West Bengal”.

    The CBI on November 28 last year carried out a massive search operation in a number of locations in four states — West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh – after registering a case against Majee.

  • CBI charge sheets 8 in 2017 NIOS secondary-higher secondary exam fraud case 

    By Express News Service
    BHOPAL: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed a fresh charge-sheet against eight persons in the case pertaining to alleged irregularities during the secondary and senior secondary examinations conducted by the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) in April 2017.

    The investigation agency informed the special CBI court in Bhopal that the investigations revealed that a large number of students, who had not even appeared in the examinations, conducted by the NIOS for Class X and Class XII at three examination centres – Sehore, Ratlam and Umaria in Madhya Pradesh – passed.

    The CBI submitted in the supplementary charge-sheet that the accused committed forgery and manipulations in the attendance sheets of the examination centres, answer sheets, etc. Further evidence in the form of used answer sheets of learners, who appeared in the examination and unused answer sheets of absent learners were allegedly destroyed by the accused named in the charge-sheet.

    Importantly, the CBI had on July 23, 2018, registered an instant case and following investigation, charge-sheeted two accused on May 13, 2019. Now the supplementary charge-sheet has been filed against eight accused, including two accused, Ashish Massey (owner of a Delhi-based polytechnic and Manoj Jyoti Borah (a junior assistant at NIOS-Bhopal), who were named in the charge-sheet filed in May 2019.

    Six others named in the supplementary charge-sheet, included Rajesh Kumar, Sandeep Kumar, Dhani Ram, Bhaskar Medhi, Rahul Kumar and Anish Kumar Yadav.

    As per CBI sources, the prime accused, Delhi-based Ashish Massey ran the racket which helped students pass the secondary and higher secondary exam across the country, after taking hefty money from them. His racket was running in various states, but the irregularities came to fore in Madhya Pradesh, when the NIOS conducted the exam at three government schools in Sehore, Ratlam and Umaria of the central Indian state.

    Massey had a nexus with NIOS staff, postal department staff and the evaluation center.

  • CBI files charge sheet against eight people for forgery and manipulation in NIOS board exams

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The CBI has charged eight persons with forgery and manipulation in board examinations conducted by National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) in 2017 to allow passing of candidates who allegedly did not appear in the tests, officials said on Wednesday.

    In its charge sheet filed before a special CBI court in Bhopal, the CBI has alleged that a “large number of students” who did not appear in the classes 10 and 12 examinations in 2017 at examination centres in Sehore, Ratlam and Umaria of Madhya Pradesh, were declared as passed by NIOS.

    “It was alleged that the accused committed forgery and manipulations in the attendance sheets of the examination centres, answer sheets, etc. of the students,” a CBI spokesperson said in a statement.

    He said the accused allegedly destroyed evidence in the form of used answer sheets of learners who appeared in the examination and unused answer sheets of absent learners.

    The agency charge sheet comes after over two years of the probe.

    The CBI had already filed a charge sheet against two accused on May 13, 2018.