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CBI raids Teesta Setalvad’s residence, office in Mumbai

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Teesta Setalvad

Mumbai: The Central Bureau of Investigation Tuesday carried out searches at premises of social activist Teesta Setalvad and her organisation in connection with a case of alleged violation of Foreign Contribution Regulation Act in receiving funds from abroad without taking prior permission from the home ministry.

The CBI sleuths carried out searches at four places in Mumbai at the premises of Setalvad, her husband Javed Anand, Gulam Mohammed Peshimam and office of Sabrang Communications and Publishing, a move flayed by the social activist who said that she was cooperating with the CBI.

“We are surprised and shocked at this,” Teesta said, adding, “We have been offering full cooperation.”

The CBI had registered a case on July 8 against all these under IPC section related to criminal conspiracy (120-B) along with provisions of Foreign Contribution Regulation Act, 2010 and Foreign Contribution Regulation Act, 1976.

“We had written a letter to CBI offering full cooperation and telling the agency that whatever so-called offences are registered against us, we will cooperate. So we don’t understand the rationale behind this entire operation,” Setalvad, who was at fore front of campaign for 2002 Gujarat riots victims, said.

“We believe that it is a caged-parrot in operation and its a political vendetta and they are trying to humiliate and intimidate us,” she said, noting “the team here is very professional but we don’t know where it will end”.

CBI sources said in New Delhi that the case was registered after the agency completed verification of all the documents submitted by the home ministry while referring the probe to the agency.

They said it is alleged that the accused named in the FIR, in a criminal conspiracy, accepted foreign contribution without registration and prior permission from the Union home ministry as mandated under FCRA norms.

The government had earlier ordered a CBI probe into the transfer of funds by US-based Ford Foundation to Sabrang Communication and Publishing Pvt Limited (SCPPL) and even froze a bank account of the firm on June 26.

It was alleged that at SCPPL violate rules of FCRA in accepting a donation of USD 2.9 lakh from Ford Foundation without getting clearance of the Home Ministry.

According to the rules, an organisation or a private firm can accept donations from overseas only after it is registered under FCRA. The donation was, therefore, a “serious violation” of FCRA provisions which mandate funding from a foreign source to only those recipients who have FCRA registration, the Home Ministry had said while ordering a CBI case.

A bank account of the firm located in Juhu, Mumbai, had also been frozen at the instruction of the Home Ministry.

The Gujarat government had earlier asked the Home Ministry to take action against Ford Foundation, alleging that the US-based organisation was “interfering in internal affairs” of the country and also “abetting communal disharmony” through an NGO run by Setalvad.

The fund transfer from Ford Foundation has, at present, to be cleared by a nodal official in the Home Ministry. In April, the government had ordered that funds from Ford Foundation should not be released by any bank to any Indian NGO without mandatory permission from the Home Ministry.

There are several cases in which the Gujarat government and Setalvad are waging legal battles. While she has filed several cases against the state government functionaries in connection with post-Godhra riots of 2002, the state police have filed a case of alleged embezzlement of funds against her.

(Agencies)

Vyapam probe will join CBI’s 6,562 pending corruption trials

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cbi

New Delhi: Madhya Pradesh’s embattled Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has welcomed the Supreme Court’s move to order a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry into what has come to be called the Vyapam scam, but with 6,562 corruption cases pending trial, justice through the overstretched agency is unlikely to be quick.

The CBI must first investigate the Vyapam case, which will mean tracking down thousands of of suspects and witnesses and following a complex eight-year trail (the scandal first came to light in 2007). After investigation, it must file a charge-sheet. Only then will the case go to trial.

Chouhan was under pressure to accede to a CBI inquiry because as many as 35 people have died since an investigation began in 2013 into allegations of bribes paid for medical college admissions to the Madhya Pradesh Vyavsayik Pareesksha Mandal (Madhya Pradesh Professional Examination Board), or Vyapam.

With 2,500 people already named as accused and 1,900 in prison pending investigation, which until July 9, 2015, was monitored by the Madhya Pradesh High Court, the new inquiry by the CBI is likely to challenge the agency, already struggling to cope with a rising number of pending investigations and trials in CBI courts.

Over the past four years, the CBI has brought down its case-load by no more than 9 percent, from 7,178 in 2011 to 6,562 in 2014, according to the latest government data available on March 31, 2014.

Delhi tops the list with 765 corruption cases pending before the courts. Maharashtra is next with 691 cases followed by West Bengal (646), Uttar Pradesh (596) and Tamil Nadu (474).

Over the past four years, the CBI registered 2,220 cases under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. The agency has completed investigations in 1,512 cases, while 708 cases are pending investigation.

During 2013, the conviction rate for corruption cases tried in CBI courts was 69 percent, according to latest data available with the National Crime Records Bureau.

Slow progress in high-profile cases

The Vyapam inquiry is likely to be a high-profile probe, involving top government officials and ministers.

Madhya Pradesh Governor Ram Naresh Yadav is also alleged to be involved. A notice has now been issued against the governor by the Supreme Court. One of the accused in the scam has also filed a police complaint against union minister Uma Bharati.

Over the past four years, the CBI has registered a total of 45 cases against central government ministers, members of parliament and ex-ministers of state and central governments.

While 25 cases are under trial, 12 cases are under investigation. Five cases have been closed by CBI. In one case, the agency has appealed against the order of the court, according to government data.

The Supreme Court steps in

On July 9, 2015, the Supreme Court ordered that all criminal cases and deaths connected with the Vyapam scandal be transferred to the CBI.

On July 24, the Supreme Court will decide if it will monitor the CBI inquiry. Criticising the Madhya Pradesh High Court for postponing a state government request to hand over the case to the CBI, Chief Justice Dattu said the High Court will not “touch the Vyapam case” now.

Vyapam is a self-financed, autonomous body of the Madhya Pradesh state government, organising competitive entrance tests to professional courses. Its website says it is the only institute of its kind in India.

More than 7 million candidates have appeared for the exams conducted by Vyapam over the past six years.

The first death related to the bribery scandal was reported in 2009, when a medical student accused of being a middleman by the police died of an illness and adverse drug reaction. About 500 people connected to the case are missing.

(IANS)

Lottery scam: Karnataka government ready for CBI probe "whenever necessary': K J George

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K J George

Bengaluru: Karnataka government is ready to hand over to CBI, “whenever necessary,” probe into alleged illegal lottery busines in the state, as a fall out of which a senior IPS officer has been suspended, Home Minister KJ George said on Monday.

“We are ready. Whenever necessary we will give it to CBI (for conducting an enquiry into the single digit illegal lottery scam),” Home Minister KJ George told reporters here.

Alok Kumar, Additional Commissioner of Police (West Bengaluru), was suspended on May 23 for his alleged illegal contact with Pari Rajan, said to be the kingpin in the scam, and for intefering in the investigation process. Rajan is already in police custody.

George said the government was also ready for the Enforcement Directorate probe if the central agency felt there was something fishy about the money trail, George said.

“As far as Enforcement Directorate probe is concerned, there is no need for the government to seek permission or make any recommendation. If they feel there is money trail is there, they can take over the case without our permission.”

Flaying the Opposition’s demand for CBI inquiry, he said while this government was ready for the probe, the opposition parties during their rule did not hand over a single case to the central investigation agency.

“Why this love for CBI now? Don’t they have any faith in our investigation agencies? This is very unfair,” he said.

Asked whether Governor, Vajubhai Vala had sought a report on the scam, George said, “If the Governor asks for it we will send it. We have nothing to hide. Everything is an open book.”

On how many more police officers’ names had been included in the CID report, George said, “As far as numbers are concerned, I have no idea about it.”

George said the report has recommended action against only one IPS officer Alok Kumar.

“The report had recommended action against one IPS officer, and we have suspended him. He is the second officer though. Earlier based on an IG report we had suspended one Dharnesh, a police official,” he said.

(Agencies)

BJP asks Siddaramaiah government to hand over Lottery Scam Case to CBI

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Photo: The New Indian Express

Photo: The New Indian Express

Bengaluru: A day after a senior IPS officer was suspended in connection with an alleged lottery scam, senior BJP leader and Union Minister DV Sadananda Gowda said the probe should be handed over to CBI as “top officials and some ministers are involved in it”.

“…just because top officials and some of the senior leaders-ministers of the present government are involved in this (single-digit lottery scam) – I think this cannot be investigated by the police of Karnataka. If they are fair enough, they should refer the matter to the CBI so that there could be clean and neat investigation and truth comes out,” he told reporters in Bengaluru.

Alok Kumar, Additional Commissioner of Police (West Bengaluru), was yesterday suspended for his alleged involvement in lottery scam.

A government order said yesterday, Mr Kumar had illegal contact with Pari Rajan, said to be the kingpin in the scam, and not only helped him but also interfered in the investigation process. Mr Rajan is already in police custody.

However, Mr Kumar has denied any kind of involvement in the case and demanded a fair investigation.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had said the action was taken on the basis of a interim report submitted by the CID. Siddaramaiah who had held a meeting of senior police officials earlier this month, had ordered a CID probe into the alleged scam. He had also said that government would take strict action against those involved in the scam.

Meanwhile, BJP spokesperson Suresh Kumar said it was a case of intelligence failure and questioned the intelligence wing for not keeping Siddaramaiah informed for two years.

“How can Home Minister escape from his responsibility? Why did our state intelligence not keep Chief Minister informed for two years? It is a case of intelligence failure, pure and simple. Here is an example of how to weakly handle Home Ministry,” he said.

Government had earlier suspended Dharanesh, Superintendent of Police (Lottery Squad) in connection with the case.

(PTI)

The real DK Ravi unveiled; his company attempted to acquired 50 acre Dalits’ land

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D-K-Ravi

Bengaluru: The CBI, which is investigating the unnatural death of IAS officer D K Ravi, has found that R&H Properties, a real estate company with which he had links, had attempted to acquire 50 acres of land belonging to SC/ST community in Chikkaballapur bordering Bengaluru.

The CBI has also found that unlike the claims by BJP and JD(S) leaders D K Ravi committed suicide by hanging himself.

The agency claims its investigation has shown Ravi was involved in an “improper attempt” to acquire around 50 acres of land for a real estate project that he and a friend had embarked on with investments from different quarters including his wife’s family and IAS batchmates.

The CBI, looking at the circumstances that may have led to the suicide apart from a failed relationship with an IAS batchmate to whom Ravi sent a final WhatsApp message, went through forensic evidence and questioned doctors involved in the post-mortem proceedings to come to the conclusion that it is “as apparent, a case of suicide’’.

The death of 34-year-old Ravi on March 16 rocked Karnataka. The Congress government in the state, under pressure from opposition parties and conspiracy theories that the officer was murdered for standing up to the real estate lobby in Bangalore, ordered a CBI probe a week later.

The agency, which registered a preliminary enquiry on April 16, claims its findings show Ravi and friend Hari K were involved with a real estate company R and H Properties which was attempting to acquire 50 acres of land belonging to SC/ ST communities in Chikaballapur region with money collected from friends and family.

CBI sources said the association of Ravi with R and H Properties first emerged when the IAS batchmate to whom he sent a final message told police that her husband had invested Rs 10 lakh in R and H Properties at the behest of Ravi who claimed he was buying land to start a real estate project.

Ravi’s name does not, however, figure in the firm or its bank accounts as a partner or joint account holder.

During the investigation of R and H Properties, Ravi’s friend Hari said the officer had ventured into a deal to buy 50 acres of land belonging to the SC/ST community, CBI sources said. The firm paid compensation to farmers for the deal but the acquisition was not cleared since acquisition of SC/ST land is prohibited under law, sources said.

The failure to acquire land resulted in Ravi running to several people for help to recover money paid as compensation for land, sources said quoting Ravi’s partner. Pressure was also building from investors in the firm for the return of money, the sources said.

In the days before his death, Ravi told Hari to withdraw Rs 2 crore from the R and H Properties account and give it to his wife Kusuma, CBI sources said.

CBI sources said the account of R and H Developers had deposits of Rs 5.42 crore and withdrawals of Rs 5.42 crore over a two-year period including a September 14, 2014 deposit of Rs 10 lakh by Ravi’s IAS batchmate and several cash deposits of Rs 5 lakh each.

(Agencies)

No conclusion drawn on IAS officer DK Ravi's death: CBI

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ias-dk-ravi

Bengaluru: Investigation into the death of an IAS officer here, which had stirred a huge controversy over circumstances surrounding it, was still underway and no conclusion had yet been drawn on it, the CBI said today.

It said “all aspects/hypotheses” relating to the unnatural death of D K Ravi, found hanging at his house here on March 16, were being inquired into.

The clarification by the central agency came amid reports that CBI in its preliminary probe had found that Ravi, known as an upright officer, had committed suicide over some alleged real estate transactions involving him.

“In reference to reports in certain section of media regarding CBI concluding its investigation in DK Ravi’s case, CBI would like to state that all aspects/hypotheses relating to the unnatural death of DK Ravi are being inquired into. The matter is under investigation and no conclusion has yet been drawn on the matter,” CBI sources told PTI.

CBI had started a preliminary inquiry last month into the “unnatural” death of Ravi, an IAS officer of 2009 batch whose body was found hanging at his residence in Bengaluru a month ago.

His mysterious death had snowballed into a major controversy with Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah agreeing to hand over the case to CBI after public outcry and demand from Ravi’s family which rejected the suicide theory.

(PTI)

Former CBI chief Sinha's meetings inappropriate, need to be investigated: SC

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Supreme Court India

New Delhi: Terming as “inappropriate” the alleged meetings of former CBI Director Ranjit Kumar Sinha with the accused in coalgate and 2G cases, the Supreme Court today said the matter “needs to be investigated” and asked the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) to assist it.

A bench headed by Justice Madan B Lokur said there is merit in the allegations that Sinha met persons in the absence of investigating officers of the cases and asked the CVC to file a report on the entire issue on or before July 6.

“We see merits in the submission. It is inappropriate on the part of CBI Director to meet persons in the absence of IOs,” said the bench, also comprising Justices Kurian Joseph and A K Sikri.

It also dismissed Sinha’s plea seeking prosecution of lawyer Prashant Bhushan for alleged perjury.

Bhushan had filed the plea on behalf of an NGO seeking a probe by a Special Investigating Team (SIT) against Sinha for alleged abuse of position for scuttling the probe into a coal block allocation scam case.

In the plea, NGO Common Cause had alleged that entries in the visitors’ register of the former CBI Director’s residence had made it clear that he was meeting the high-profile accused and those associated with coal block allocation.

The plea had said there was a need for a court-monitored SIT investigation to ascertain “whether any consideration exchanged hands”.

The bench had reserved its judgement on April 13 in the matter in which Sinha had claimed that a “hidden hand” was the “controlling mind” of Bhushan and had accused him of interfering and scuttling the probe into the coalgate.

The NGO, in its application, had submitted that since the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) of Delhi Police had not lodged an FIR on its November 25, 2014 complaint, there was a need for a court-monitored probe for alleged abuse of authority by Sinha as the then director of CBI.

However, Sinha had rejected the NGO’s claim that he and a few other senior officers of the level of Joint Director repeatedly overruled the investigating officers (IOs) and forced them not to register FIRs/RCs in cases where Preliminary Enquiries had been registered and directed closure of the cases.

In the plea for perjury against the NGO and Bhushan, Sinha’s counsel had said “there is not a single case in which Sinha overruled the unanimous opinion of the officers working under him with regard to recommending closure in which they have recommended conversion to a regular case.

“Thus, the falsity of the statement made before this Court is evident from this count alone.”

(PTI)

'Modi govt unaware of Dawood Ibrahim's whereabouts'

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Dawood Ibrahim

New Delhi: The central government is unaware of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim’s whereabouts, the Home Ministry has stated.

Ever since Narendra Modi became the prime minister, reports have been emerging that the BJP government at the Centre is trying its level best to locate Dawood and bring him to justice.

Dawood Ibrahim is an underworld don who is also the mastermind of the 1993 Mumbai blasts. On March 12, 1993, serial bomb blasts rocked the western metropolis at various places, killing more than 250 and injuring over 700.

Last year a media report had said that the underworld don had changed his location and shifted his base to the Af-Pak border.

The report stated that Dawood was apprehensive of Modis intention and feared a commando style operation, similar to the US raid in Abbottabad, which killed al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. Fearing this, the underworld don had changed his base and asked Pakistans ISI to enhance his security.

D-company is a reference to Dawood Ibrahim. D Company is involved in a variety of criminal activities, including narcotics trafficking, extortion, smuggling, and contract killings.

Dawood Ibrahim and other leaders of D Company are the subjects of Interpol Red Notices for their suspected involvement in the 1993 terrorist bombings in Mumbai, India in which 257 people were killed.

In October 2003, the US Treasury Department named Dawood Ibrahim as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist, and in June 2006, the United States named both Dawood Ibrahim and D Company as Significant Foreign Narcotics Traffickers pursuant to the Kingpin Act.

Additionally, in May 2012, Treasury designated two senior D Company lieutenants, Chhota Shakeel and Ibrahim ‘Tiger’ Memon, under the Kingpin Act.

(PTI)

Dawood Ibrahim wanted to surrender: former Delhi Police chief

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Neeraj-Kumar-Dawood-Ibrahim

New Delhi: Former Delhi police commissioner Neeraj Kumar has claimed that underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, the mastermind of the 1993 serial blasts in Mumbai that claimed around 300 lives, wanted to surrender but the CBI did not agree to it.

Neeraj Kumar also claimed to have spoken to Dawood Ibrahim three times in June 1994.

“I spoke to a jittery Dawood three times in June 1994… He seemed to be toying with the idea of surrendering but had one worry – his rival gangs could finish him off if he returned to India. I told him his safety would be the responsibility of the CBI,” Neeraj Kumar has told Hindustan Times.

“Dawood was worried that his rivals may kill him if he would come back. I played along and told him that the CBI would take care of his safety if he were to return but before we could actually talk terms of surrender, my bosses in the CBI told me to back off,” Neeraj Kumar says in the HT interview.

In June 1994, Neeraj Kumar was with the CBI and he was leading the agency’s probe into 1993 Mumbai blasts.

Reacting to Neeraj Kumar’s claims, former CBI director Vijay Rama Rao said, “No such offer of surrender came from Dawood Ibrahim. If it’s the case, it was not brought to my knowledge.”

“Let all facts come out. Without entire facts be known, it would be premature and incorrect to say anything,” BJP leader Nalin Kohli said.

Last December, the Modi government, in bilateral talks with Pakistan, had sought custody of Dawood Dawood Ibrahim.

Intelligence sources also said that Dawood is a special guest staying in Pakistan’s much guarded defence area and so much is the secrecy that Pakistan sees that Dawood and his kin fly to Saudi Arabia for pilgrimage in charter flights.

(Agencies)

CBI sniff 4,000 crore scam in Railways, to file case soon

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indian-railways

New Delhi: Sniffing a major scam of at least Rs 4,000 crore in the railways, CBI is likely to file a case soon into alleged under-reporting of the actual weight of loaded goods wagons through the manipulation of software by officials.

CBI sources said that in the financial year 2012-13, railways transported 1,008 million metric tonnes of freight and earned Rs 85,262 crore through it, which constituted 67 per cent of the total revenue for the period.

The goods are required to be weighed at the originating station or en route or at the destination point with a view to plugging the leakage of revenue and to avoid over-loading of the wagons, the sources said.

An official in CBI said inputs were received that this system has been manipulated at several places in such a way that over-loading is concealed and weight of the wagon is shown to be within the permissible limit.

“Highly sophisticated methodology of crime by manipulating the software of the system is suspected,” the official said.

The sources said it is further suspected that the alleged manipulation has been done through collusion amongst railway officials, private vendors and freight operators.

“Even a 5 per cent under-reporting of actual weight of freight leads to a difference of Rs 4,263 crore by 2012-13 figures… It is not only causing huge financial loss to the exchequer but also (bringing) corresponding gain to private freight operators and is damaging railway tracks and wagons, thus adversely affecting railway safety,” an official said.

Railways had in consultation with Research Development and Standards Organisation (RDSO) installed 200 ‘Electronic In-Motion Weigh Bridges’ at various locations across the country to weigh the freight in transit.

Six vendors have been roped in by RDSO for setting up the bridges, which automatically measure the weight of goods train wagons passing through them at a speed of 15-km per hour, CBI sources said.

The agency recently carried out countrywide searches and surprise checks at major freight traffic points with the assistance of the vigilance department of the railways, CBI sources said.

The surprise checks were undertaken in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Jharkhand, Assam, West Bengal, Odisha, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Goa, Rajasthan and Gujarat, etc.

During the surprise operation, CBI found “systematic” under-weighing with the system programmed to give readings which were lower than the actual weight.

“It was found at some of the locations that the quantum of under-weighing increased with an increase in speed of the rake. The preliminary digital analysis of the forensic image taken at some of the locations has revealed old weighing logs showing past manipulations in weighing,” a CBI official said.

He said alleged manipulations in entries pertaining to wagon type have been revealed with consequences for the weighing.

“Systematic manipulation in weighing achieved through tampering of the software, EIMWB hardware, manual entries, etc. leads to significant loss of revenue for the railways,” he said.

CBI has already secured the locations of the in-motion weighing bridges to prevent the possibility of tampering, the sources said.

They said that test runs were conducted with rakes comprising freight wagons carrying different loads to check the accuracy of the readings. Besides, the ‘in-motion’ weighing was also done at different speeds.

CBI secured a forensic image of the hard disk of the weighing system to enable a digital forensic analysis for locating the ‘digital fingerprints’ (automatic weight logs, etc.) of past manipulation in weighing.

(PTI)

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