Re: Black Money Monster: Sid Harth
chhotemianinshallah
ED seeks legal opinion to nail evasive Koda
21 Nov 2009, 0330 hrs IST, Ashok K Mishra, ET Bureau
PATNA: Cocking a snook at the investigating agencies, those facing the
probe in connection with the money laundering scam, including former
Jharkhand Chief Minister Madhu Koda, may actually be working to a plan
by not turning up for the interrogation by the Enforcement Directorate
(ED) and Income Tax (I-T) officials.
The ED has now sought legal opinion regarding Mr Koda, who has not
only ignored the summons but has also shot off a letter to the
investigating agency placing some riders for his interrogation.
The ED officials are clearly of the view there was a method to what
the accused were doing by not cooperating with the investigating
agency. ``Possibly they want to delay the pace of investigation. Or
they could be buying time to tie and cover their loose ends,” remarked
an ED official
On his part, Mr Koda has maintained that as an MP he was entitled to
certain privileges and that the office of the Speaker of the Lok Sabha
should be duly informed about his interrogation. He has also insisted
that the summon notice should come to him at least 10 days in
advance.
The ED is, however, vested with sufficient powers to arrest Mr Koda on
the ground of non-compliance of the summon notice.
But it may not be willing to exercise this option at this juncture as
his arrest could have a political bearing on the Jharkhand assembly
elections. Mr Koda has fielded his wife Geeta from his traditional
Jagannathpur assembly seat, besides four other candidates in his
native West Singhbhum district. The investigating agency obviously
will not like Mr Koda to take any political advantage if he was
arrested.
The ED instead has now sought legal opinion from the Additional
Solicitor General of India following some of the issues raised by Mr
Koda regarding his interrogation.
All this could mean that any action against Mr Koda will be initiated
by the ED only on the basis of legal advice. In case of other accused
who too are not turning up for interrogation, the ED has now
approached the court for the issuance of arrest warrants against
them.
“We may also press for the attachment of property particularly of
Binod Kumar Sinha and Sanjay Kumar Chaudhary, the two key Koda
associates who wave gone into hiding,” said sources in the ED.
The ED may also act tough with the hawala dealer Manoj Punamia who too
failed to appear before the ED last time.
...and I am Sid Harth
chhotemianinshallah
Delhi government favouring influential convicts: High Court
20 Nov 2009, 1743 hrs IST, PTI
NEW DELHI: Taking exception to the way parole was granted to Jessica
Lall murder case convict Manu Sharma, the Delhi High Court on Friday
pulled up the city government for giving preferential treatment to
convicts having high connections.
Justice Kailash Gambhir said that in normal cases the government takes
three to six months to decide a parole application of a convict but in
case of Manu Sharma it disposed off his plea within 20 days.
"The list (regarding number of parole applications) depicts a dismal
picture showing the government is giving least priority to parole
applications of convicts. No doubt the home department has given
selective treatment to some convicts because of their high
connections," Justice Gambhir said.
The court made the observations on a petition filed by Sumeer Singh, a
convict in the Connaught Place shooting case, seeking parole for three
months to file an appeal in the Supreme Court against his conviction
on the ground that his family members were illiterate.
The court, showing displeasure over the lax approach of the
government, had on November 10 issued notice to the city government's
Home Secretary to personally appear before it to explain the delay in
dealing with applications of parole despite its clear directives in
this regard.
The court had on the last hearing on November 10 taken strong
exception to the government not following its directions with regard
to parole matters.
"Already this court has given direction that the parole applications
moved by the convicts be given due priority and the same be decided
within a period of 10 days and it appears that the directions given by
this court are being implemented more in violations than in
compliance," the court had said.
The high court had also directed the government to file a list of
parole applications received by it so far this year.
Sharma, who was released on parole from Tihar jail on September 22 on
the ground of his mother's illness, was reportedly spotted in a
nightclub in a hotel in the city, triggering a controversy. He then
returned to the Tihar Jail on his own on Novemeber 10.
Sid Harth
Show full of sound and fury as Koda fails to spill beans
B Sridhar, TNN 18 November 2009, 10:13pm IST
CHAIBASA: Former chief minister Madhu Koda failed to roar as promised.
For, his threat to expose his conspirators in the multi-crore hawala
scam at the Hunkar rally the much-hyped show of strength at the Gandhi
Maidan here on Wednesday remained a mere show at the end of the day.
Although reiterating that he was a victim of a poltical conspiracy,
Koda failed to name any of the abettors. However, if the crowd of
around 4,000 was any indication of Koda's popularity, then it was
evident that he continued to enjoy the support of his workers and
sympathizers.
The MP, without spilling the beans, alleged that two national parties
had conspired to finish him off politically and the probe into his
alleged amassing of wealth was nothing but a plot to malign him before
the Assembly polls.
"Upset over my win as an Independent in the Lok Sabha election, the
parties hatched a conspiracy to belittle my stature in state politics
by implicating me in false cases," Koda told the gathering as slogans
of "Kolhan Tiger" rent the air.
The packed ground displayed a festive mood and supporters were equal
in orchestrating their support to the tribal leader. "The storm will
pass soon and Kodaji will emerge more mature and confident after
that," a Koda loyalist said. Party members donning fashionable
headgears arrived beating drums and nagaras, (traditional drum).
Launching a scathing attack on the Opposition, Koda reiterated that
his meteoric rise in state politics had earned him many enemies and
that all the charges about his involvement in the financial scam were
part of a well-thought out plan of the Opposition parties to eliminate
him from state politics.
Surprisingly, Rasika Koda, his father, who had all along maintained a
distance from his son during his political journey, sounded upbeat,
too. "The crowd has come to boost my son's morale,"said the senior
Koda at the former CM's office-cum-residence here on Wednesday
morning.
Vowing to fight to the last, Koda said: "Ensure victory for all the
seven candidates of my party and then you will see how equations
change." Geeta, in her short speech, merely said her husband was
"innocent" and had been implicated falsely. She also exhorted the
womenfolk to rally behind her husband.
Talking to newspersons briefly after the meeting, Koda said he had not
received any summons from the income tax or the Enforcement
Directorate yet for questioning in Ranchi on Thursday. However, he
added that if he receives the summons, he will happily go to Ranchi
for the interrogation.
Koda, of course, added in haste that it would not be possible for him
to go to Delhi for interrogation during the polls.
chhotemianinshallah
Koda says he will report to ED only after Jharkhand polls
Press Trust of India / Jamshedpur November 21, 2009, 14:37 IST
Former Jharkhand Chief Minister Madhu Koda, who has failed to appear
before the Enforcement Directorate in connection with the money
laundering case against him, today said he would be available for
questioning only after the Assembly polls.
"The summons by the ED were delivered at my Ranchi residence only on
November 18, a day before the appearance when I was busy campaigning
(for assembly polls) in Chaibasa," Koda said here when asked by
reporters why he failed to appear before the agency on November 19.
Koda said he would be available only after the conclusion of Jharkhand
state Assembly polls on December 18. The former Jharkhand Chief
Minister has put up six candidates, including his wife Gita on behalf
of Jharkhand Navanirman Morcha for the polls.
"Moreover, the ED wanted certain documents like passport, which I
don't have as they must be with either the income tax authorities or
vigilance department (both the agencies had raided Koda's residence).
Unless I get them how can I show them," he said.
He refused to comment on his 'aides' Sanjay Choudhary and Binod Sinha,
who are facing arrest warrants following the raid by Income Tax
authorities on about 70 premises, including Koda's residences, and
unearthed documents that allegedly pointed to hawala transactions and
illegal investment to the tune of over Rs 2,000 crore.
chhotemianinshallah
Who created 'plunderer' Koda?
Anil Anand / DNA Sunday, November 22, 2009 0:34 IST
Dhanbad (Jharkhand): This tribal-dominated state is facing an
electoral wave of a different kind. Keeping aside the spiralling
prices and caste permutations and combinations, the flavour of the
ongoing five-phase state Assembly elections is former chief minister
Madhu Koda. He has become the favourite whipping boy for the political
rivals for reasons suiting their respective political motives.
The saga of Koda's alleged corrupt practices that took places during
his tenure as the chief minister seemed to have become his nemesis.
Who is responsible for creating Koda the politician? This is the
question being hotly debated between the main rivals, Congress and the
BJP.
Koda was an RSS man and had entered the Assembly for the first time as
a BJP legislator and became the mines minister in the dispensation.
And thus started his tryst with the minting money. On their part the
BJP holds the Congress solely responsible for giving Koda the "free
run" while backing him as chief minister for nearly two years. Why
didn't they withdraw the support, the party chief Rajnath Singh asked.
The Congress is hard-pressed to explain as to why the party took so
much time to act against Koda and his aides and stop them from
plundering the newly-carved state. On record the party leaders
pinpoint to the mass agitation launched by them, under Maken's
leadership, against Koda while he was in office. Off the record, they
cite compulsions of the coalition to have acted against them as their
erstwhile allies Laloo Yadav (RJD) and Shibu Soren (Jharkhand Mukti
Morcha) had thwarted moves to disturb the Koda government.
Sensing that Rs4000 crore corruption charges against Koda was a
potential vote garnering issue, the Congress has stepped up its anti-
corruption campaign. And as part of this strategy pushed Maken into
electioneering as he was the sort of whistleblower who had first
started the anti-Koda campaign while being AICC incharge of Jharkhand.
Maken rejected the BJP charge that the Congress had patronized Koda
while he was the chief minister. "We had gone after him even at that
time and a concerted campaign was launched by the Congress from block
to the state level to expose his corrupt practices but not before
serving an ultimatum to him to perform before he perished," he said.
In fact, the Koda saga has brought the Congress into reckoning in the
state elections as it has been sitting in the Opposition for the last
nine years. Koda aside, certain others reasons such as the Muslim and
backward class voters turning towards the Congress is also helping the
party.
bademiyansubhanallah
Koda shadow may eclipse Cong-JVM in Singhbhum
Manoj Prasad
Posted: Monday , Nov 23, 2009 at 0049 hrs
Ranchi:
Scam-tainted former chief minister Madhu Koda may turn out to be a
spoilsport for the Congress and Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (JVM) in the
prestigious East Singhbhum district, giving the upper hand to the
BJP.
This district, adjoining Chaibasa, the hometown of Koda, has
traditionally been a battleground of the BJP and JMM due to the
polarised electorate, with the upper castes, business community and
OBCs backing the former and the Dalits and Adivasis supporting the
latter.
Among the six constituencies of the district, three — East Jamshedpur,
West Jamshedpur and Jugsalai — are represented by heavyweights: former
minister Raghubar Das (BJP), Sarayu Rai (BJP) and former minister
Dulal Bhuiyan (JMM) respectively. In these seats, the candidates which
the Congress and JVM, led by former chief minister Babulal Marandi,
have put up are: Abhay Singh (JVM), Banna Gupta (Congress) and Ritika
Mukhi (Congress).
What goes against the Congress-JVM alliance here is a combination of
two factors: one, the Congress and RJD had backed the Koda government
during 2006-08; two, the allotment of tickets by them to defectors —
Singh, who was earlier with the RJD, and Gupta, a former Samajwadi
Party leader.
Since Koda has been booked in a Rs 4,000-crore case following
nationwide raids on his properties, corruption has become a central
plank in this election with a perception gaining ground that if Koda
has looted the public funds with impunity, it was courtesy the
Congress, JMM and the RJD.
Besides, Hidayatullah Khan, a history sheeter, who had quit the LJP to
join the Congress only to be denied ticket by it, is at daggers drawn
with the party’s West Jamshedpur nominee Gupta. Similar is the case
with JVM’s candidate Singh, who is being opposed by the party’s
workers led by its secretary Ashok Singh.
In Jugsalai, JMM’s Dulal Bhuiyan is being challenged by two women
candidates — the Congress’s Ritika Mukhi and the BJP’s Rakhi Rai, who
had recently joined the party after quitting All Jharkhand Students’
Union.
bademiyansubhanallah
Rs800 crore in Swiss accounts of Koda aides, say officials
DNA Correspondent Monday, November 23, 2009 3:55 IST
New Delhi: Nearly Rs800 crore of Indian taxpayers' money, allegedly
plundered by former Jharkhand chief minister Madhu Koda and company,
is believed to have found its way to accounts in Swiss banks.
The enforcement directorate (ED), which had sent a special team to
Switzerland, has found bank accounts registered in the names of Koda's
associates, including some local politicians, bureaucrats and key
middlemen, sources close to the investigations said. But none of the
accounts is in Koda's name.
Till now, these accounts and their size was a matter of speculation.
The ED team has found that the money was parked in eight to nine such
accounts, the sources said.
Switzerland is not the only country that has seen quiet visits from
Indian probe agencies after the scam was unearthed.
ED teams have gathered crucial evidence from other tax havens,
including the Bahamas and the Cayman islands. A special team has also
been despatched to the north African country of Liberia, where Koda is
alleged to have purchased mines worth $17 lakh.
Considering the politically sensitive nature and the sheer magnitude
of the alleged embezzlement, the enforcement directorate has formed a
special unit to probe the case. The unit is single-mindedly
unravelling the business empire Koda allegedly established first as a
minister and then as the chief minister of Jharkhand.
Top officials connected with the case indicate that the ED is no hurry
to arrest Koda. The former chief minister, who has been accused of
embezzling and laundering nearly Rs4,000 crore, has so far taken a
defiant stand, failing to appear for questioning despite summons being
issued against him twice, including on November 19.
"We are building a very strong case against him and his associates.
Lot of evidence has already been gathered from some foreign countries
besides the documents, evidence and confessions that we already have.
When we will finally arrest him, he won't be able to get bail," said a
senior finance ministry official attached with the probe.
Meanwhile, a Prevention of Money Laundering Act court in Ranchi issued
an arrest warrant against key Koda associate Boinod Sinha, who has
been evading questioning and, like the former Jharkhand chief
minister, has failed to appear before the ED despite repeated summons.
Sinha was the one who allegedly coordinated money deals on behalf of
Koda.
bademiyansubhanallah
dalits muslims koda rajya sabha RS
RS adjourns twice, once over Koda
PTI
First Published : 24 Nov 2009 11:33:27 AM IST
Last Updated : 24 Nov 2009 12:41:39 PM IST
NEW DELHI: Rajya Sabha was today adjourned twice during Question Hour
over separate issues, including the alleged multi-crore scam involving
former Jharkhand Chief Minister Madhu Koda.
The House was adjourned for 10 minutes soon after it met for the day
when Ali Anwar (JD-U) created a ruckus over alleged leakage of the
Ranganath Misra Committee report on reservation to dalit Christians
and dalit Muslims.
Anwar said the report has been published in a newspaper and sought
Government's response.
Chairman Hamid Ansari said he could raise the issue during zero hour
but the Question Hour should not be disrupted.
As the member did not relent, Ansari adjourned the House for 10
minutes and called leaders of all parties to his chamber for
discussion.
When the House reassembled, M Venkaiah Naidu (BJP) raised the issue of
a "massive fraud and scam" in Jharkhand saying the man in the dock,
Madhu Koda, was propelled by Congress to the chair of the chief
minister of the state.
"The person (Koda) needs to be put behind the bars immediately and the
issue discussed in the House," he said.
Naidu also said the Liberhan Commission report on the Babri Masjid
demolition was "leaked" to divert attention from the Jharkhand scam.
His comment was vociferously countered by ruling benches, prompting
BJP members to raise slogans.
In the din, Ansari said, "I am afraid that members are not willing to
abide by the agreement made" and adjourned the House till 1200 noon -
the second adjournment during the pre- lunch sitting.
chhotemianinshallah
BJP asks why arrest warrant not issued against Koda
STAFF WRITER 16:52 HRS IST
Ranchi, Nov 24 (PTI) The BJP today asked why a warrant of arrest was
not issued against former Jharkhand chief minister Madhu Koda in the
money-laundering scam though he failed to honour the Enforcement
Directorate summons for appearance.
"Despite Koda ignoring the Enforcement Directorate's summons, nothing
is happening against him. Why not an arrest warrant is being issued as
he failed to honour the summons," BJP secretary and Rajya Sabha
member, Prabhat Jha, said.
"Koda should be arrested so that the names written in the diary found
during searches by the Income Tax department are revealed," he told a
press conference here.
The ED had issued separate summons on November 13, 15 and 19 asking
Koda to appear before it. He responded with a letter to the ED saying
that he would be available for questioning only after the conclusion
of the Assembly elections.
Sid Harth
Naveen Patnaik under pressure to come clean on mining scam issue
25 Nov 2009, 2009 hrs IST, Nageshwar Patnaik, ET Bureau
BHUBANESWAR: Faced with the prospect of Union government seeking CBI
probe before the Orissa High Court in a public interest litigation
case, the Naveen Patnaik government has started taking the multi-crore
mining scam issue seriously by taking help of latest technology and
punishing the culprits.
As the mine lease holders were accused of going beyond their
stipulated lease area, the Orissa government has decided to adopt
technology options for accurate mapping of its mines.
“The mapping will mainly be undertaken in Keonjhar district which
large deposits of iron ore and manganese. Remote Sensing Technology is
being considered as the best option for articulate mapping”, state
industry minister Raghunath Mohanty on Wednesday informed in the
Orissa Legislative Assembly.
Replying to a query in the state Assembly, Mr Mohanty said that it was
agreed in a recently held high level meeting to engage the Orissa
Remote Sensing Application Centre (ORSAC) and National Remote Sensing
Agency (NRSA) to prepare the maps.
“It was agreed in the meeting to entrust ORSAC and NRSA with the
responsibility of mapping of mines. They will draw the maps in
association with the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur and
other concerned Central government agencies,” the minister said.
An Inter-Organisational Group (IOG) has been constituted to submit a
report to the government on this subject.
“After the report of the IGO is made available to us, the government
will think over the next step,” he added.
Steel and mines additional secretary, Orissa Mining Corporation deputy
general manager (information technology), deputy director mines and
representatives of ORSAC have been taken as members of the IOG.
During the ongoing Assembly session, the Naveen Patnaik government has
been put to embarrassing situation by the Opposition over alleged
exploitation of iron ore, manganese and other minerals by lease
holders beyond the boundary of their demarcated area.
The Opposition even charged that the state government had received
crore of rupees kickback to favour the mines owners.
Sid Harth
SCANDAL
Deep pockets of Jharkhand
VENKITESH RAMAKRISHNAN
in Ranchi and New Delhi
Tax sleuths close in on former Chief Minister Madhu Koda for amassing
ill-gotten wealth and money-laundering.
PTI
Madhu Koda being discharged from a hospital in Ranchi on November 8.
He complained of high blood pressure and stomach ache in the course of
interrogation by tax officials for alleged hawala transactions.
“JHARKHAND may be lagging behind in many areas of governance and
development, but we are ahead of most other States in one thing,
political and bureaucratic corruption,” Stephen Marandi, former Deputy
Chief Minister of Jharkhand, used to make this statement often,
referring to many of his political colleagues and officers who run the
government.
Marandi’s comment used to draw appreciation from those who viewed the
State’s politics objectively. It is also widely accepted within the
State’s political circles that he does have the moral and political
authority to make such a comment. He was perhaps the only non-
controversial member of two controversial Ministries – one led by
independent Madhu Koda between September 18, 2006, and August 27,
2008, and the other headed by Jharkhand Mukthi Morcha (JMM) chief
Shibu Soren between August 27, 2008, and January 18, 2009. He was
Deputy Chief Minister in both. Marandi used to refer to Koda’s name in
the context of his statement on corruption.
It took a year and a half after Koda’s departure from office and an
investigation by the income tax (I.T.) authorities and the Enforcement
Directorate (E.D.) to understand the independent legislator-turned-
Chief Minister had indeed operated on a scale unmatched by any other
leader in the State.
According to estimates doing the rounds, Koda and his associates
allegedly amassed approximately Rs.4,000 crore in his 23-month tenure
as Chief Minister and laundered it using various means during this
term and the period following his ouster from office. It was during an
E.D. investigation into an aide of former Governor Syed Sibte Razi
that the agencies stumbled on Koda’s money matters.
According to investigating officials in the E.D. and the I.T.
Department, Koda had amassed a large portion of the money by
facilitating mining contracts for iron ore and coal. On the face of
it, this was done by signing 26 Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs)
and by giving recommendations, on the basis of ministerial discretion,
to an equal number of applications seeking mining leases for iron ore
and coal. Clearances from several Ministries are normally required for
granting mining leases, but the Chief Minister and, in some cases, the
Minister for Mines, had discriminatory powers to recommend that an
institution or an individual could be granted a mining lease.
No Chief Minister of erstwhile Bihar (of which Jharkhand was a part
until November 2000) or Jharkhand itself is known to have used these
discriminatory powers as rampantly as Koda did. In the process, he
allegedly charged a certain fee for signing the MoUs and making the
recommendations.
Sources among the investigating officials told Frontline that Koda had
“charged” Rs.2 crore to Rs.20 crore for signing an MoU, depending on
the quantum of coal or iron ore that the respective mine would have
produced. The recommendations were sold at a price of Rs.30 crore to
Rs.80 crore, again depending on the produce of a particular mine. The
officials point out that Koda did not handle cash directly, but got
the money deposited directly or through some of his accomplices in a
Mumbai-based finance company or with hawala operators.
Koda’s associates in this included small-time businessmen such as
Vinod Kumar Sinha and his brothers Vikas Sinha and Sunil Sinha, based
in Chaibasa (Koda’s constituency), and businessmen brothers Sanjay
Choudhary and Dhananjay Choudhary based in Jamshedpur. The I.T. and
E.D. have also listed his former Cabinet colleagues Bandhu Tirkey,
Bhanu Pratap Shahi, and Kamlesh Singh as accomplices in the scam.
Tirkey was an independent MLA like Koda, while Shahi belonged to the
Forward Bloc and Kamlesh Singh to the Nationalist Congress Party
(NCP).
While Koda was directly involved in “striking the deals”, the money
was apparently handled by his “non-political” associates and laundered
by financial companies. The E.D. has booked Koda under the four-year-
old Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2005, which prescribes
punishment of up to seven years of rigorous imprisonment for the
guilty. The PMLA also provides for the freezing, seizure and
confiscation of the proceeds of crime. It imposes obligations on
banking companies, financial institutions and intermediaries to verify
the identity of clients, maintain records and furnish information to
the authorities. Koda is the first MP and former Chief Minister to
have been booked under the PMLA and his is the biggest case lodged by
the E.D. under the Act so far.
PTI
According to investigating officials, Koda amassed large sums by
facilitating mining contracts for iron ore and coal. Here, coal
waiting to be transported in the Khalari area of Jharkhand.
E.D. investigation has apparently revealed Koda’s money-laundering
exercises leading to massive deals and investments on a global scale.
He had reportedly made secret visits to Switzerland and other foreign
countries as part of this. The E.D. suspects that the former Chief
Minister has one or several accounts in Swiss banks and other banks in
tax havens. The E.D. has also reportedly collected “unshakable
evidence” about investments by Koda in mines in Thailand and Liberia.
Some of Koda’s accomplices, according to E.D. and I.T. investigations,
amassed movable and immovable property worth Rs.200 crore. These
include the companies Shiv Ram Sponge Iron Ltd and Rollin Mill, vast
quantum of land in Jharkhand and outside as well as several flats.
The Choudharys set up two companies – Blue Techno Projects Ltd and CP
Manufacturing – in Dubai and invested in more than a dozen ones in
Thailand, Indonesia, South Africa and Dubai. Kamlesh Singh, the
investigation points out, bought property worth Rs.50 crore in Mumbai,
Delhi, Bangalore and Ranchi. Shahi and Tirkey, too, have property
worth crores of rupees in and outside Jharkhand.
Larger dimensions
Koda, his associates among politicians and businessmen have all denied
the charges made by the E.D. and I.T. investigators. There is a view
among sections of the State’s political class and the administration
that, if properly probed, the Koda scam would reveal far more damaging
details than the ones that have come to light at present. It says the
Koda affair is not only about taking bribes for mining deals and money-
laundering but also about selling India’s iron ore cheaply to foreign
countries. Some contend that it could even have another dimension:
that of iron-ore smuggling. The argument is based on the premise that
the quantum of money involved is too large to be a scam involving only
bribes and money-laundering.
According to a senior government official, Jharkhand’s iron ore is
reportedly rich in ferrous content and is in great demand across the
globe, particularly in China where a construction boom has been for
sometime now. “It needs to be probed where the iron ore from these
mines have gone and which are the companies that sent it abroad,” the
official pointed out. It remains to be seen whether this angle would
be taken up by the investigating agencies or its masters.
Culprits all
PTI
At the Income Tax office in Ranchi on November 6, an official carries
bundles of documents seized from Koda's residence.
At the political level, the Koda affair is something for which almost
all political forces of the State, except the Left parties, will have
to take responsibility. Koda was the Minister for Mines during the
Arjun Munda-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government that ruled
from March 12, 2005, to September 18, 2006. He, along with three other
independent MLAs, was instrumental in bringing down that government.
Immediately after that he assumed the Chief Minister’s post with the
support of the Congress, the JMM and Lalu Prasad’s Rashtriya Janata
Dal (RJD).
During his tenure Koda had even publicly stated that he was into
“money-making”. “If I do not make money do you think that these big
parties and leaders will allow me to continue in office?” he had told
mediapersons. Obviously, none of the bigger parties in the State can
absolve themselves of the offence of letting Koda and associates loose
on the administration.
However, at the political level, the Koda scam seems to be helping the
Congress. This is partly because of the public perception that there
has been a greater impetus to probe corruption cases under the current
Governor K. Sankaranarayanan. There is a definitive impression that
Sankaranarayanan has been sent by the United Progressive Alliance
government at the Centre to correct the State’s mismanagement over the
past few years. Some of the welfare measures taken by the Governor’s
regime in the State, such as the strengthening of the public
distribution system (PDS) and the promotion of self-help groups,
particularly those among destitute women, have helped strengthen this
impression.
A number of political observers, however, believe that the pro-
Congress dimensions of the Koda scam could come tumbling out if the
former Chief Minister, who rose from the position of a construction
labourer to become one of the richest politicians in the State makes
bold to expose the “big parties and leaders” who allowed him to
continue in office, apparently for a price.
The other, and perhaps more important, question is whether the
investigating agencies will be ready to probe the doubts raised by a
section of the administration about iron-ore smuggling. Whether these
queries evoke affirmative or negative answers, there is little doubt
that the Koda story will have many more new chapters added to it in
the coming days.
chhotemianinshallah
Pranab Bardhan: Our corruption, their corruption
Unlike India, corruption in authoritarian East Asian regimes is less
damaging to the economy
Pranab Bardhan / November 26, 2009, 0:36 IST
Recently, the trial in a case of corruption against a billionaire
Party official along with many of his associates and accomplices
(public servants, judges, policemen and gangsters) in Chongqing, one
of China’s fastest-growing cities, brought to limelight the politician-
business-criminal nexus, that is not unfamiliar to India. Corruption
is pervasive in both countries, and in that context I have often been
asked how, in spite of all the corruption, the Chinese economic
performance has been so much better than India’s. (Similar questions
used to be asked of the phenomenal economic growth in South Korea and
Taiwan since the 1960s, in the middle of their rampant corruption).
Of course, in this matter, East Asia is not unique in history. In
European history, the entrepreneurial class grew out of the sales of
monopoly rights, tax farming and other forms of privileged access to
public resources. In the US “gilded age” of late 19th century, the
widespread corruption of state legislatures and city governments by
business interests and those seeking franchises for public utilities
has gone along with economic growth.
But it is interesting to speculate on the several ways in which our
corruption is qualitatively different from that in East Asia and on
their differential economic effects.
First, in China the lines of authority are more well-defined and
streamlined, whereas there is multiple veto power of different
authorities on a given decision in India. An apocryphal story has it
that one high official in New Delhi once told a friend: “If you want
me to move a file faster, I am not sure I can help you; but if you
want me to stop a file, I can do it immediately.” So, even after
paying bribes, one is never sure in India if the job will get done.
This ability to “stop a file” at multiple points, part of a checks-and-
balances system (originally installed by the colonial government
suspicious of native officers, continued after Independence), acts as
a damper on collusive corruption, but has ended up making our
corruption rather dysfunctional.
An offshoot of this system is institutionalised suspicion, which
undermines incentives for bold decisions in the Indian bureaucracy. If
a top bureaucrat does good work, the legitimate rewards are few, but
if the decision leads to a project that fails, s/he will be hounded by
the Central Vigilance Commission or the Central Bureau of
Investigation (as it is often difficult for the latter to distinguish
between decisions which simply did not work out and decisions which
may have corrupt motivations). Thus the Indian civil service is highly
risk averse and does not easily take innovative decisions.
Institutional inertia rules, particularly because these officers, in
any case, spend only two or three years on a given posting — why rock
the boat?
Second, in China, official rewards and career promotions are more
directly linked to local economic performance than in India, so the
officials involved do not usually lose sight of the overall
performance record, even as they line their own pockets. On my visits
to Beijing, I have often privately asked my Chinese friends to give me
their rough estimates of misappropriation of project value from the
frenzied, large-scale public infrastructure programmes. None of these
estimates exceeded 10 per cent.
I am reminded of another apocryphal story I once heard in Belgium that
goes like this: In an international conference in Belgium, at the
reception in the evening, an African minister took his host, a Belgian
minister, aside and asked him how on his official salary he could
afford to build the large mansion where the reception was being held.
The Belgian minister took his African guest to the window and said,
“See that road there? — 10 per cent”. Then, as usually happens in such
stories, in a year or two, there was a similar conference in Africa
where at the reception given by that African minister at his home, the
Belgian minister asked how his host could build the huge palace on his
income. The African minister took his Belgian guest to the window and
said, “See that road?” The Belgian minister looked this way and that
way, and said, “I don’t see any road here”. The African minister
smiled and said, “100 per cent”. I presume in China politicians do not
steal 100 per cent, as their career promotion depends on the over-all
economic performance of the area they are in charge of.
Third, in the past authoritarian regimes of South Korea and Taiwan,
the political machine and its corruption were more centralised, which
is less distortionary in its effects than decentralised corruption.
Like the efficiency of “lumpsum taxation” in public finance theory,
lumpsum bribery distorts fewer decisions at the margin. Indonesia
under Suharto was by most international measures more corrupt than
India, and yet overall economic performance was much better. It is
possible that Indonesian corruption at that time was more centralised
(controlled largely by the first family and the top military
leadership) and thus somewhat more predictable, whereas in India
corruption was (and is) a more fragmented, often anarchic, system of
bribery, as is now the case in post-Suharto Indonesia.
Finally, as elections become more expensive, politicians in India have
to be on the lookout for serious money to an extent not necessary in
China and other authoritarian regimes. Donations to election funds
from the corporate oligarchy (and from real estate business), often
under the table, have become more important. The corrupt impact of
this on policy (including in matters of allocation of land, monopoly
rights on natural resources or telecommunication spectrum or those of
regularisation of all kinds of unauthorised constructions and
environment-polluting enterprises) is much too evident. Of course, in
this respect our corrupt election financing has brought about results
that are similar to what Chinese authoritarian crony capitalism has
achieved through unaccountable political processes. At least in India,
one hopes, there are institutional processes and checks (through
elections, courts, right to information, etc.) in place which are
somewhat more effective.
The author teaches at the University of California, Berkeley College
of Letters and Science
chhotemianinshallah
Ranchi, November 27, 2009
Vigilance Bureau issues fresh summons to Koda
PTI
Former Jharkhand Chief Minister Madhu Koda at an election rally in
Ranchi. File Photo: PTI
The Vigilance Bureau issued fresh summons to former Jharkhand Chief
Minister Madhu Koda in a disproportionate assets case to appear before
it on December 4 after he failed to do so on Friday.
“He was to appear today. But he sent a letter stating that he was busy
in electioneering. The department immediately issued (fresh) summons
to appear before it on December 4,” Inspector General of Police
(Vigilance) M.V Rao told PTI here.
The summons was issued in connection with a disproportionate assets
(DA) case pending before the special Vigilance Court here.
Bandhu Tirkey, Kamlesh Singh and Bhanu Pratap Sahi are the other
former ministers in the then Koda government who are also facing DA
charges, Mr. Rao said.
Mr. Koda had also failed to appear before the Enforcement Directorate
on November 13, 15 and 19 citing the same reason.
The ED had summoned him in connection with the Rs. 4,000 crore money
laundering case that it booked against him and eight others.
Subsequent raids by the Income Tax department on 70 premises,
including Koda’s, on October 31 had revealed a Rs. 2,000 crore alleged
Hawala transactions and illegal investments.
The IT and ED authorities are studying documents relating to mines as
Mr. Koda held that portfolio since 2004 and retained it after taking
over the reins from Arjun Munda.
Sid Harth
Koda dodges vigilance again
OUR CORRESPONDENT
Ranchi, Nov. 27: Former chief minister Madhu Koda did not keep his
date with the state vigilance today, explaining in a letter that he
was busy campaigning.
The vigilance bureau, which has now asked him to appear at its Audrey
House headquarters on December 4, was understandably not pleased with
the way the former chief minister has been dodging investigators in
connection with the July 2 FIR against him and three former cabinet
colleagues for owning assets disproportionate to his known sources of
income.
This afternoon, Koda sent over an emissary at Audrey House to deliver
a letter to the IG vigilance, M.V. Rao, saying he was busy campaigning
in Chaibasa for party nominees that included his wife, Geeta.
The vigilance bureau, sources said, had taken a serious view of Koda’s
absence today. They pointed out the former chief minister had earlier
this month dodged both the income tax and enforcement directorate
officials on the same pretext.
“Investigations cannot be impeded merely because an accused is busy,”
a senior vigilance officer said.
While the income tax department is engaged in unearthing Koda’s hidden
incomes and assets, the enforcement directorate has lodged an FIR
against him and others under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
Rao confirmed to The Telegraph that fresh summons had been issued to
interrogate the former chief minister.
To speed up investigations, the sources added, the vigilance bureau
would be seeking the help of the income tax department to try and
establish a link between various assets and documents unearthed during
the joint IT and ED raids on Koda’s associates _ Vinod Sinha, Sanjay
Choudhary and Mumbai-based hawala dealers_ to him.
bademiyansubhanallah
India politician Madhu Koda held in corruption case
Mr Koda is an independent politician
A former chief minister of the eastern Indian state of Jharkhand has
been arrested in connection with a corruption investigation.
Madhu Koda, an independent politician was arrested nearly two months
after a case was registered against him.
Mr Koda is under investigation for for allegedly possessing assets
disproportionate with his income and for alleged money laundering.
Mr Koda has denied the charges and says they are "politically
motivated."
He had failed to appear before the authorities for questioning
regarding a case of laundering money saying that he would be available
only after elections in Jharkhand on 18 December.
Mr Koda, 38, was arrested in Chaibasa district on the instruction of
India's Enforcement Directorate which investigates economic crimes,
police said.
He is alleged to have laundered millions of dollars during his stints
as chief minister of Jharkhand between 2006 and 2008.
For the past month, the Enforcement Directorate and income tax
authorities have raided dozens of offices and homes all over the
country to investigate the allegations against Mr Koda.
The Jharkhand vigilance department has also filed a case against Mr
Koda and three former ministers, Bandhu Tirkey, Bhanu Pratap Shahi and
Kamlesh Singh, for allegedly accepting bribes, reports say.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8385781.stm
Sid Harth
Josy Joseph / DNA
Monday, November 30, 2009 2:38 IST
New Delhi: A high-ranking army officer, a lieutenant general
responsible for promotions and postings, has been found guilty on
several counts of misdeed in favouring a private company to build a
sprawling educational establishment at a sensitive location.
This is perhaps the first time that a principal staff officer (PSO),
one of the seven senior Lt Generals who look after crucial functions
and report directly to the army chief, has been found guilty of such
misdeeds, including conspiracy.
Military secretary Lt Gen Avdhesh Prakash entertained the businessmen,
who wanted to set up the educational establishment, at his official
residence; he forced the military to modify a proposed memorandum of
understanding with the business house, and even met several people on
behalf of the proposed institution, the court of inquiry in Kolkata
has found. His culpability in the fraud "has been established beyond
doubt," a military source told DNA.
The inquiry wound up this weekend, and is expected to submit its
report in a couple of days. The findings raise uncomfortable questions
for the government: Will it allow the army to let the rules take their
course -- including possible convening a court-martial to try Lt Gen
Prakash? Or will it take recourse to other means, such as the summary
dismissal of the Lt General to show its resolve to fight corruption
and such misdeeds? Or, will it give him an 'honourable' exit from the
army, allowing him to go on leave till retirement?
According to military sources, the court of inquiry into the land scam
at the 33 Corps headquarters in Sukna, West Bengal, was told by
several military officers and private individuals that Lt Gen Prakash
played a crucial role in the entire conspiracy.
The idea was to replace the original decision of the 33 Corps to not
permit any commercial enterprises on a piece of land outside the corps
headquarters near Siliguri, West Bengal.
To begin with, a forged document was used to replace the original
papers (in which the decision not to let private enterprises in the
land was recorded). Then a series of other decisions were imposed on
the 33 Corps to help the Kolkata-based business group to start a Rs300
crore enterprise on the 70-acre land.
Lt General PK Rath, who was the 33 Corps chief when the army signed
the MoU with the private group, told the court of inquiry that most of
his actions were at the behest of Lt Gen Prakash.
Sharat Bajoria, the business house owner, told the inquiry that he was
introduced to Lt Gen Prakash at the military secretary's government-
allotted residence in New Delhi. In turn, Lt Gen Prakash told the
inquiry that he had known Dalip Sabarwal, a contractor who introduced
Bajoria to him, for several years.
Incidentally, Sabarwal is also the contractor for building a war
memorial in Kumaon regimental centre in Uttaranchal. Lt Gen Prakash is
the colonel commandant of the regiment.
Incidentally, a host of policy decisions on promotions during
Prakash's tenure has led to a revolt in the ranks.
chhotemianinshallah
Agencies
Posted: Monday , Nov 30, 2009 at 1855 hrs
New Delhi:
Prime accused in the multi-crore fake stamp paper case Abdul Karim
Telgi and two of his accomplices were sentenced to 10 years rigorous
imprisonment by the special CBI court in Bhopal.
The judge found Telgi, Shabbir Ahmed Sheikh and Sohail Khan guilty
under section of 120-B of Indian Penal Code pertaining to criminal
conspiracy and IPC section 255 dealing with counterfeiting of
government stamp papers and imposed fine of Rs five lakh on each of
them in each count, a CBI spokesperson said here today.
“The court also found the three accused persons guilty under section
69 of Indian Stamp Act read with 120B and imposed sentences of 6
months rigorous imprisonment with fine of Rs 500. The sentences are to
run concurrently,” he said.
The CBI had registered two fake stamp paper cases in 2004 on the
orders of Supreme Court.
“In one case, Jagjeevan Yadav, proprietor of Malwa Enterprises, Indore
allegedly supplied 200 forged stamps at the rate of Rs 50 worth Rs
10,000 to State Bank of India, Dhar on May 1 and June 7 in the year
2000. The payments for the same were made through demand draft to the
company. However, he was not authorized for sale of stamp paper,” he
said.
Yadav had also supplied forged and fake stamp and stamp papers to
various institutions in the district, causing wrongful loss to the
state government, the spokesperson said.
“In another case it was alleged that Giriraj Prasad Bhatnagar, Manager
Bank of India, Simrol Branch was contacted by two employees of Malwa
Enterprises during June 2000 and was informed that they were working
for Sohail Khan, Abdul Gafoor Mujahid, Karim and Ashfaq,” he said.
The above mentioned two employees of the said firm offered to supply
special adhesive stamps and non-judicial stamp papers to the bank in
its premises only, he said.
“Judicial Stamp Papers and Non-Judicial Stamp paper were supplied by
the company through its employees,” the CBI spokesperson said.
“Later, it was revealed that stamp papers supplied to the bank were
fake. The complainant was further informed that the company had the
license to supply in the name of Yadav,” the official said.
The CBI had filed two separate chargesheets accusing trio along with
Jagjeevan Yadav, Ashfaq Mulla and Mansoor Bacholikar under different
sections of IPC.
“Jagjeevan Yadav and Abdul Gafoor Mujahid expired during trial and
investigation respectively, hence proceedings against them were
abated. Ashfaq Mulla and Mansoor Bacholikar were made approvers in
this cases. The court had granted pardon to them,” he said.
Comments (1) |
traveller
By: citizen | 30-Nov-2009
What did they do with the illegal money they accumulated by selling
forged papers? Did anyone try to find this? These culprits/thiefs/
goons will be out within no time to do the same with the support of
the corrupt politicians.
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/stamp-paper-scam-telgi-gets-10year-jail/548044/0
chhotemianinshallah
1 Dec 2009, 2234 hrs IST, Navtan Kumar, ET Bureau
RANCHI: The Congress admitted on Tuesday that Madhu Koda was made
Jharkhand chief minister under pressure from United Progressive
Alliance (UPA) allies. Mr Koda was arrested by the state vigilance
bureau on Monday in a disproportionate assets case.
Mr Koda is a key accused in the Rs 2,000-crore money laundering scam
and illegal mining deals.
AICC general secretary and ex-chief minister of Madhya Pradesh
Digvijay Singh said the party supported Mr Koda for the post under
pressure from allies but he failed to provide a clean government. Mr
Koda, an Independent MLA, was made chief minister after the Arjun
Munda government was toppled in 2006. His government was supported by
the Congress from outside.
Reacting to Mr Koda’s allegations that the Congress was behind his
arrest, Mr Singh said Mr Koda should present his point of view in a
transparent manner and should avoid from making sweeping statements.
"No Congress chief minister has faced any such allegations. The
Congress is against corruption and those who are involved in
corruption should be ready to face the result," he said.
About the alleged illegal mining deals struck during the Koda regime,
Mr Singh said investigating agencies should also probe all the deals
of the Arjun Munda regime.
On Union minister Subodh Kant Sahay’s declaration that Dr Ram Dayal
Munda will be chief ministerial candidate in case the party came to
power, Mr Singh clarified that Congress never makes such
announcements. "The chief minister’s name is decided by the MLAs in
consultation with the Congress president. A senior leader like Mr
Sahay should not have made such an announcement," he said.
Meanwhile, the stage is set for the second round of polling in 14
Assembly constituencies on Wednesday. The state government and the
Election Commission have made elaborate arrangements for ensuring
peaceful and smooth polling, especially in the wake of Maoists’ threat
to disrupt polling. As many as 30.96 lakh voters will exercise their
franchise to elect MLAs from 259 candidates (15 women) in 4,315
polling booths.
In a related development, a special vigilance court on Tuesday sent
former Jharkhand minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader
Kamlesh Singh to 14 days judicial custody in connection with a DA
case. He was arrested at Hussainabad in Palamau district on Monday.
The court, however, granted his plea to allow him to file nomination
papers from Hussainabad assembly seat as Tuesday was the last day for
filing the papers. Polling in Hussainabad takes place on December
18.
Sid Harth
Press Trust of India / New Delhi December 2, 2009, 17:43 IST
Alleging "massive corruption" in all infrastructure projects linked
to the Commonwealth Games 2010, BJP today said Delhi Government has
been spending huge sum of money "mindlessly" to speed up work on them
as the mega event approaches.
Alleging that the government was responsible for "inordinate delays"
in implementation of various key projects, senior party leader V K
Malhotra said huge cost escalation of work was only benefitting the
builders.
"Massive corruption is taking place in all the projects being
implemented by the Delhi Government. Now the Government is ready to
spend any amount of money to ensure national prestige," Malhotra told
reporters.
Asked whether he has any substantial proof to back his allegation, he
said the Comptroller and Auditor General in its report has already
found financial irregularities in implementation of various projects.
"Cost of the projects has increased three-four times. Who is
responsible for it? Is it not corruption?"
The government is now increasing cost of most of the projects which
will only benefit the builders and contractors," Malhotra, who is also
Leader of Opposition in Delhi Assembly, said. Malhotra, who is a
senior vice-president of Indian Olympics Association (IOA), said the
city will face huge embarrassment during the event because of the
"pathetic traffic and law and order situation".
Slamming the government for "not carrying out development works" in
unauthorised colonies, he said the "pathetic condition" of the slums
and these colonies will be "exposed" to the outside world. The BJP
leader also feared that builders and contractors may compromise on
quality of infrastructure to meet the deadline.
Not satisfied with the preparation for the event, Commonwealth Games
Federation (CGF) President Michael Fennel had in September sought
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's intervention to put things in order.
Later, a CGF delegation that included Fennel too, expressed
satisfaction over progress of work.
Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit maintains that her government will
complete all the work well in time although it was little "nervous"
about the preparations.
chhotemianinshallah
TNN 3 December 2009, 02:23am IST
BANGALORE: Oddly enough, the officials our Lokayukta cops raid live in
a time warp: where acres of real estate still cost sleepy lakhs, and
gold is just Rs 450 a gram. Sample this: the value of three acres of
land, with a Mangalore tile house at Banavasi village, bordering
Hassan, is worth just Rs 1.05 lakh.
Similarly, four acres and 20 guntas of land near Gulbarga, with a
compound constructed around the entire plot in blackstone, is Rs 2.8
lakh! What a steal!
These are some of the properties the Lokayukta came upon during its
raids on Wednesday on seven government officials — it added up assets
to the tune of Rs 6.86 crore, and even that sum is disproportionate to
their known sources of income.
The raided officials include Karnataka State Forest Industries
Corporation assistant manager B C Shantha Kumar, in Hassan, motor
vehicles inspector Jayananda B Narasannanavar in Chikkodi, additional
deputy commissioner of Chamarajnagar Nagappa, Gulbarga University
director of physical education Pratap Singh Tiwari, KIADB junior
engineer Shivalingaiah in Dharwad, Hopcoms first-division assistant C
Devaraju in Bangalore and Sagar panchayat raj executive engineer
Srikanth R.
bademiyansubhanallah
Express News Service
First Published : 03 Dec 2009 08:15:54 AM IST
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Veteran Congress leader K.Karunakaran on Wednesday
wrote an emotional letter to AICC president Sonia Gandhi seeking a
smooth re-induction of K.Muraleedharan into the Congress fold.
The letter was personally handed over to Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi on
Wednesday by P.C.Chacko MP, who has been advocating Muraleedharan’s re-
entry into the party.
In his letter, Karunakaran requested Sonia Gandhi to favourably
consider the demand of Muraleedharan to rejoin the Congress before the
local-self government elections, which is due in 2010.
“The AICC president should favourably consider his request and take a
decision soon,’’ the veteran leader said in his letter.
Karunakaran said that he along with other party workers, including
former KPCC president K Muraleedharan, had quit the Congress following
certain circumstantial pressures. But the Congress has the rich
tradition of taking back those who are willing to come back admitting
their mistakes, the letter said.
``I have devoted my entire life for strengthening the Congress party.
As a senior leader of the party I hope my request will be favourably
considered at this juncture,’’ says Karunakaran concluding the letter.
Muraleedharan will reach New Delhi on December 6 to attend a
function. He is scheduled to have yet another round of talks with the
central leaders of the party during this visit.
Muraleedharan had earlier given a letter to Mohsina Kidwai, AICC
general secretary who is in charge of Kerala affairs, conveying his
desire to rejoin the party unconditionally.
As per the suggestions of senior leaders like A.K.Antony and Vayalar
Ravi, Muraleedharan also had discussions with Opposition Leader Oommen
Chandy and KPCC president Ramesh Chennithala here.
The next KPCC executive committee meeting is scheduled to discuss the
re-entry of Muraleedharan as the AICC is waiting for the KPCC decision
in this regard.
However, the state leadership is yet to finalise a date for the next
meeting of the KPCC executive.
Comments
A Man who is entering in to 90s life or even entered is prostrating
before Sonia Gandhi bartering self respect.That is the position in
Indian Society now. Family System in India has brought misery in to
politics.For an ouside observer like me Mr Karunakaran seems to be
horribly corrupted.AK Antony seems to be honest. Antony rose in the
party after Karunakaran left it. As Mr N. Krishna said all in the
congress are corrupt only degree varies.Take the opportunism of Mr
Shashi Thoroor the great Nehruvian Secularist .He spent most of his
time in USA and England. and has no touch with people of India.It is a
surprise that the most politically enlightened Kerala Citizens that
too from the City Of Thiruvananthapuram elected him.
By Karavadi Raghava Rao
12/3/2009 11:04:00 AM
Veteran Congress leader K.Karunakaran was a Hindu terrorist who killed
a policeman when he started his political career. Veteran Congress
leader K.Karunakaran escaped the noose of justice and become a CM of
Kerala. His rule has damaged the Hindu community for ever and with the
fake ISRO spy case created by CIA agents in the media and Kerala
police enabled the CIA created AK Anthony in the seat of CM in place
of Karunakaran. Karunakaran’s vagabond son K. Muraleedharan was
working in Dubai and was running Hawala from his Deira office in
Dubai. He has is share of illegal occupation and regularization of
forest land and these two things make him in league with all congress
politicians like Sonia, Rahul and Ramesh Chennithala. All the goodas,
foreign agents, Pope plants, prostitutes hawala operators deserve top
position in congress party.
By n.krishna
12/3/2009 10:51:00 AM
Congress party in kerala is in a strong position than it was 3 years
ago. If sonia admits Muraleedharan back into the congress then she is
digging the grave for congress party in Kerala. Muraleedharan as
everyone knows is mentally retarded his inclusion will only fuel
factionalism in the party, he is corrupt to the core only one example
he collected money and bought a building in Trivandrum while he formed
DICK as the party headquarters in his own name let him disclose what
is the status of the property now is that still on his name or did he
donate that to the congress party. Keep the corrupt Murali out of
congress.
By Sangeetha
12/3/2009 10:26:00 AM
He despearately wants to continue the misdees and corruption .Sonia
Gandhi should stand firm in the decision to exclude any member of the
family of Karunakaran in to the congress fold
By Srinivasan
12/3/2009 8:51:00 AM
chhotemianinshallah
Punjab Newsline Network
Thursday, 03 December 2009
CHANDIGARH: Punjab Vigilance Bureau, in a drive against corruption in
public life, arrested three Gazzetted Officers (GOs) and five Non-
Gazzetted Officers (NGOs) in eight different bribery cases in last
month and was able to secure the conviction of thirteen accused in
twelve different vigilance cases.
Disclosing this here on Thursday Rajinder Singh, SP-cum-Joint Director
(Admn.) Vigilance Bureau Punjab, said that Bureau has put up its best
efforts to eradicate corruption amongst public servants and others in
every sphere in the State.
In this direction, the Vigilance officers have ensured that suspect
did not escape judicial punishment in the various courts in the State.
He added that during the last month of November, the Vigilance had
nabbed eight corrupt public servants red handedly accepting bribes in
eight different cases which include three Gazzetted Officers namely
Vijay Kumar Janjua, IAS, Director-cum-Secretary Industries, Mr Manjit
Singh Tehsildar Kapurthala, Dr Parveen Mahindru PHC Bajakhana and 3
Revenue officials. The Bureau has also registered two criminal cases
and three cases of disproportionate assets cases against the suspect
corrupt officials.
Giving further details Joint Director added that during the last month
the special courts have sentenced thirteen accused including three GOs
and nine NGOs and a private person after finding them guilty for one
year to three years imprisonment with fines in twelve different
vigilance cases which included three GOs namely Surinder Singh Sidhu
PCS, DTO Moga, Subhash Chander Garg Block Panchayat Officer Distt
Mansa, Balwinder Singh SDE, Marketing Board Bathinda and two
Sarpanchs and two PSEB officials.
http://www.punjabnewsline.com/content/view/21506/38/
bademiyansubhanallah
Ch Prashanth Reddy & B Krishna Mohan / Hyderabad December 04, 2009,
0:34 IST
Satyam Computer Services Ltd (SCSL) founder, B Ramalinga Raju, his
brothers and their spouses have acquired 1,065 properties with a
registered value of Rs 350 crore.
These include 109 properties in coastal Andhra, 11 in Karnataka, 40 in
Nagpur, 29 in Chennai and 876 in Hyderabad and the surrounding
Rangareddy district, according to sources tracking developments in the
Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe of the Satyam case.
On the whole, the sources said, the Raju brothers and their spouses
bought 6,012 acres of land, 37,475 square yards of housing plots and
87,439 square feet of built-up area.
Besides Raju and his family, the CBI is understood to have discovered
that former chief financial officer of Satyam, Srinivas Vadlamani,
acquired 20 properties, comprising 92.16 acres of land and 2,582 sq
yards of housing plots, with a registered value of Rs 9.29 crore. The
properties were acquired in his and in the name of his family members.
These acquisitions were made from the “wrongful gains” earned by
selling Satyam shares during the period the accounting fraud was
perpetuated in the company.
“They made hay while the sun was shining by offloading the shares
while the other investors were holding on to the shares with a false
hope” that the share value would rise, the sources quoted from a
report.
On the whole, Raju, his family members and the front companies floated
by them are stated to have received Rs 2,700 crore by selling shares
and also by pledging shares with non-banking financial corporations.
Sources said CBI had come out with an evidence that Raju and his
associates had created seven “fake” foreign customers against whom
“forged and fabricated invoices” were raised to the tune of Rs 430
crore .
These “fake customers” were eCare Inc, Mobitel Inc, Cellnet Inc,
Synony Inc, Autotech Services, North Sea Inc and Hargrieves Inc.
Though teams were formed for developing products for the seven
companies, Satyam never delivered any products to them as no such
company existed. Nevertheless, Satyam had raised 63 invoices against
these seven companies.
Fabricated emails were sent to Satyam associates to make them believe
that the companies were actually existing.
“Detailed analysis of the emails revealed that the Internet protocol
addresses from which the emails were sent at the relevant time and
date were all from within Hyderabad, which clearly shows that such
emails never emanated from the seven foreign customers,” the CBI is
learnt to have stated.
On the role of Satyam’s former head of internal audit, V S Prabhakar
Gupta, whom the CBI arrested recently, sources said the investigating
agency was of the view that he “has deliberately suppressed the
irregularities brought out by his team”
http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/raju-family-bought-1065-properties/378540/
bademiyansubhanallah
Ch Prashanth Reddy & B Krishna Mohan / Hyderabad December 3, 2009,
0:29 IST
Satyam Computer Services founder B Ramalinga Raju had made trips to
the Indian School of Business (ISB) in Hyderabad, to Visakhapatnam and
even the US, to convince the independent directors on the his board
for acquisition of Maytas Infra and Maytas Properties, the two
companies promoted by his family members.
This was a final and desperate effort to conceal his prolonged
falsification of accounts.
According to sources, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has
charged Raju with doing this to “put pressure” on them to approve the
deal. Three of the six former IDs of Satyam — Vinod Dham, Krishna
Palepu and Mangalam Srinivasan — lived in the US, while three others T
R Prasad, V S Raju and M Rammohan Rao stayed at Visakhapatnam,
Bhimavaram (about 300 km from Vizag) and the ISB campus respectively.
In addition, the date of the board meeting was communicated to the
directors only on December 13, 2008, just three days before the
meeting, unlike the usual practice of communicating such details a
fortnight in advance.
“This is the only board meeting where no agenda points were circulated
in advance. The draft board resolution was uploaded on to the board
portal only at 7.06 pm on December 15, 2008, thereby not giving any
meaningful time to the board members to prepare for the meeting,” the
sources quoted from a report.
At its December 16 meeting last year, the Satyam board had endorsed
the company’s proposal to buy Maytas Infra and Maytas Properties Ltd
(MPL) for $1.6 billion (over Rs 7,400 crore, at latest exchange rate).
The deal was aborted, following protests from investors.
The CBI is understood to have said the mergers and acquisition (M&A)
division of Satyam was not allowed to conduct its own internal
valuation and strategic studies pertaining to the deal. MPL “got
valued secretly and hurriedly through M/s E&Y”.
“In fact, no due diligence was conducted for the purpose of this
acquisition. A one-year-old draft due diligence report of M/s Luthra
and Luthra conducted for the purpose of an IPO listing of MPL was
wrongly used by (Satyam’s former chief financial officer) Sri V
Srinivas for this acquisition purpose,” the CBI said.
Meanwhile, Mahindra Satyam today said it could not assess the
potential impact, if any, of the Rs 1,220-crore (about $264-million)
loans from banks that Raju and his aides had taken by allegedly
forging board resolutions.
http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/raju-pressured-satyam-board/378442/
bademiyansubhanallah
Press Trust of India / New Delhi November 25, 2009, 20:52 IST
Amid reports that the Satyam accounting fraud could be as high as Rs
14,000 crore, nearly double of what was confessed by its founder B
Ramalinga Raju, the government today remained tight-lipped and said
the real amount would be brought before the court of law.
"Let's hope everything that has to be placed before the court is done
for the purpose of proving criminal culpability; which ultimately has
to be proved in the court. Let me not say something that will weaken
our case or help the other side," Corporate Affairs Minister Salman
Khurshid said when asked whether the scam could be worth Rs 14,000
crore.
Industry sources, however, said the purported amount of Rs 14,000
crore is an overall amount expected to have been lost by investors in
the stock market and will have no bearing on the financial health of
the company.
The minister further said that it is unfair to comment on a matter
that is subjudice. "I think we should leave to the investigating
agencies. Whatever they discover, they will take action on it, so we
must trust them. One must neither speculate, nor close any
possibilities... The court must take a view and we must not take a
public view," Khurshid added.
The CBI had filed a second chargesheet yesterday in the multi-crore
Satyam scam against its founder chairman B Ramalinga Raju, and others,
including the recently arrested internal auditor V S Prabhakar Gupta.
bademiyansubhanallah
Ch Prashanth Reddy & B Krishna Mohan / Hyderabad December 2, 2009,
0:42 IST
By contrast, the fraud enabled Raju’s kin and aides to make hundreds
of crores, charges CBI.
Fifteen major Indian institutional investors — including Birla Sun
Life, ICICI Prudential, Franklin Templeton, HDFC Asset Management, UTI
Asset Management and Reliance Life Insurance — which invested in the
fraud-hit Satyam Computer Services Ltd (SCSL), are understood to have
together suffered ‘wrongful losses’ of slightly over Rs 1,600 crore.
This is part of an estimated loss of Rs 14,162.25 crore incurred by
various investors (including retail) in the company.
Satyam founder B Ramalinga Raju, his brothers B Rama Raju and B
Suryanarayana Raju, and their kin received Rs 749 crore by offloading
SCSL shares during 1999-2006, the period when the company’s accounts
were fradulently inflated, according to sources.
Sources added that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had
gathered “adequate evidence” to prove that Satyam’s then financial
executives had gained over Rs 50 crore by “offloading the shares
during the fraud period, when share prices were artificially kept
high.”
The officials who benefited allegedly include former chief financial
officer V Srinivas (gained Rs 32 crore), senior vice president -
finance, G Ramakrishna (Rs 11.27 crore), vice president - finance, D
Venkatapathy Raju (Rs 1.76 crore), head of internal audit Prabhakar
Gupta (Rs 4.48 crore) and assistant manager- finance, Ch Srisailam (Rs
89 lakh).
In 2007- 08 and 2008-09, the Satyam founder, his brothers and their
spouses received dividends to the tune of Rs 25 crore “when the
company was actually not making any profits,” the CBI said. They had
also pledged SCSL shares “after artificially inflating the share
prices” and availed of loans from various nonbanking financial
companies to the tune of Rs 1,951 crore.
With regard to diversion of funds, the CBI did not disclose any
significant amount. It just said the Satyam promoters had diverted Rs
72. 5 lakh from SCSL into front companies owned by them in the year
1999. In an earlier report, the CBI had estimated the loss suffered by
institutional investors at Rs 958.98 crore. The investigating agency
said a further probe had revealed that the loss suffered was higher.
The institutions and the loss suffered by them in brackets are: Birla
Sun Life (Rs 111. 88 crore), ICICI Prudential (Rs 22.68 crore),
Franklin Templeton (Rs 100.37 crore), HDFC Asset Management (Rs 190.45
crore), UTI Asset Management (Rs 85.97 crore), Canara Robeco (Rs 6.14
lakh), ICICI Prudential (Rs 698.67 crore), ICICI Lombard (Rs 1.53
crore), Reliance Life Insurance (Rs 5.94 crore), HDFC Standard Life
Insurance (Rs 218.07 crore), SBI Life Insurance (Rs 22.84 crore). SBI
Funds Management (Rs 26.5 crore), Metlife India Insurance (Rs 23.76
crore), Fidelity Fund Management (Rs 102.88 crore) and Max New York
Life Insurance (Rs 18.36 lakh).
The CBI had estimated the total loss suffered by investors in SCSL was
Rs 14,162.25 crore, based on the average share price fall after the
fraud confession of Raju on January 7, 2009.
http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/satyam/s-major-investors-lose-rs-1600-crore/378326/
bademiyansubhanallah
Press Trust of India / Mumbai November 25, 2009, 15:54 IST
Shares of Satyam Computer (now Mahindra Satyam) today plunged over 13
per cent on the Bombay Stock Exchange after the CBI said that the loss
suffered by investors in the Satyam scam may stretch to a staggering
Rs 14,000 crore, nearly double of what it was estimated to be earlier.
After a weak opening on the bourses, Satyam counter to a low of Rs
88.15, down 13.28 per cent over the previous close on the BSE.
The CBI yesterday filed the second chargesheet in the multi-crore
Satyam scam against its founder chairman B Ramalinga Raju and others,
including recently arrested internal auditor VS Prabhakar Gupta.
Marketmen said investors dumped the stock amid concerns of further
downside after the CBI chargesheet as the amount of fraud estimated by
the CBI is way higher than the initial estimates of Rs 7,800 crore.
On the National Stock Exchange the counter witnessed a similar
downtrend and plunged 13.29 per cent to a low of Rs 88.10 during the
afternoon trade.
Over 10.20 crore shares changed hands on both the bourses. As per the
chargesheet the accused have created fake customers and generated fake
invoices to inflate revenue to the tune of Rs 430 crore.
In January Raju admitted of cooking up the financial books of Satyam
to the extent of Rs 7,800 crore following which the scrip plunged as
much 78 per cent on a single day.
http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/satyam-tanks-13-as-cbi-doubles-scam-loss/79174/on
bademiyansubhanallah
Press Trust of India / Hyderabad November 24, 2009, 18:20 IST
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) today filed second
chargesheet in the multi-crore rupee Satyam scam against the founder
chairman of the company B Ramalinga Raju and others, including
recently arrested internal auditor of the company V S Prabhakar Gupta.
The chargesheet was filed in the designated court here accusing Raju
and Gupta under various sections of the Indian Penal Code for
allegedly indulging in siphoning off money to tax-haven countries,
including Mauritius.
As per the chargesheet, the accused forged board resolutions and
unauthorisedly obtained loans to the tune of Rs 1,220 crore for Satyam
Computer.
"They also prepared fake invoices worth Rs 430 crore," the chargesheet
said.
The chargesheet comes within days of the CBI team going to other
countries to probe the alleged diversion of funds by Raju and re-
routing back to India, official sources said.
The funds were routed back to India via European nations as
"investments" in nearly 300 alleged fictitious companies floated in
the name of his relatives, they said.
The CBI, which is probing the Rs 10,000-crore accounting fraud at
Satyam Computer Services, has found during investigations that Raju
had diverted big amounts to Mauritius from where the money was brought
back to India via several European countries, they added.
Sources said the amount of Rs 7,800 crore mentioned by Raju in his
"confessional statement" earlier this year was far less then what is
emerging out of the investigations.
The second chargesheet highlights some more financial transactions
made by Raju and some of his associates, sources said. It contains
1,549 additional documents and submissions from 301 witnesses.
In all, it is a 55,000-page document with a 200-page supplementary
chargesheet.
The CBI had filed the first chargesheet on April 7 this year.
The agency, after filing the second chargesheet, is expected to travel
to the US and probe the transactions made in the current accounts
maintained in Bank of Baroda's New York branch and a non-existent
balance of Rs 1,733 crore that has been found till date.
The CBI, which has set up a multi-disciplinary investigation team,
including officials from the Income Tax Department, the Enforcement
Directorate and the RBI, has claimed that the money involved in the
scam is nearly Rs 10,000 crore, more than what was stated by Raju in
his confessional note in January this year.
http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/cbi-files-second-chargesheet-in-satyam-scam/79084/on
bademiyansubhanallah
IANS
Published on Fri, Dec 04, 2009 at 21:36 in Politics section
MINE BOMB: The 100 mines in Goa export nearly 30 million tonnes of
iron ore annually.
Panaji: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday alleged that state
support to illegal mining and corruption in Goa's mining industry had
reached "unacceptable levels" and vowed to expose "several Madhu
Kodas" in the state, during the forthcoming Assembly session.
Addressing a press conference here, Leader of Opposition in the
Assembly Manohar Parrikar said that the state government's moves to
carve out new mining leases measuring 600,000 sq mt in South Goa in
face of public opposition, smacked of corruption and vested interests.
"Everyone from the collector to the talathi (mofussil revenue officer)
is involved in manipulating documentation in order to create these new
mining leases," he alleged.
"During the Assembly session, the BJP will expose the several Madhu
Kodas in Goa who are ravaging and squeezing the state dry," Parrikar
said, referring to former Jharkand chief minister Madhu Koda who is at
the centre of a Rs 4,000 crore scam involving kick backs from
corporate mining houses to open up mining leases in Jharkhand.
Parrikar had earlier alleged that Koda had mining interests in Goa and
was hand in glove with several of Goa's top ranking politicians as far
as illegal mining was concerned.
Mining for low grade iron ore and manganese is one of the principal
industries in the state, fetching nearly Rs 6,000 crore revenue from
exporting the ore to countries like China and Japan. The 100 mines in
Goa export nearly 30 million tonnes of iron ore annually.
http://ibnlive.in.com/news/will-expose-several-madhu-kodas-in-goa-bjp/106489-37.html
chhotemianinshallah
Faizan Ahmad, TNN 6 December 2009, 02:41am IST
PATNA: A staggering 300 Bihar government employees earning modest
government salaries are crorepatis. If this isn’t surprising enough,
here’s more:
All but two of the sleazy 300 continue to hold on to their secure as
also, no doubt, lucrative - government jobs despite long stints in
jails.
According to official figures, 71 such corrupt babus were caught until
November this year by the state vigilance bureau. In 2006, when chief
minister Nitish Kumar cracked the whip on graft, 70-odd ‘trap’ cases
led to the arrest of 76 employees. This figure shot up to 131 in 2007;
while 97 others were caught with their hands in the till in 2008. Of
these 365 arrested babus, Vigilance Bureau found 300 of them had
assets and other valuables running into crores.
In the last four years, chargesheets were submitted against 596
gazetted and 632 non-gazetted public servants apart from 302 others,
including those arrested before 2006. With just one vigilance court in
Bihar for ‘trap’ cases, only a handful of them have been convicted so
far. Worse, the departments concerned have been indifferent about
sacking the convicts.
The only two corrupt public servants fired were clerks — one in
commercial taxes department and the other in the agriculture
department.
“The vigilance bureau has no role in the dismissal of government
servants arrested on corruption charge,” said ADG (vigilance) Anil
Sinha. “Our job is to arrest them, file FIRs, investigate the case,
submit chargesheets and put them on trial,’’ he said, adding dismissal
has to be ordered by the departments concerned.
Sinha admits trials in such cases haven’t been fast because there is
just one court for ‘trap’ cases. “But the pace of trials has
increased, with court proceedings taking place daily,’’ he added.
Another senior cop said speedy trial and conviction of such employees
would go a long way in discouraging others. The vigilance department,
too, feels that dismissals would create a sense of fear among other
greedy babus. Nitish Kumar has emphasised the need for special courts
to deal exclusively with trap and disproportionate assets cases. ``If
I had my way, I’ll have illegal properties amassed by them confiscated
and open schools in their palatial buildings,’’ Kumar said.
The state government has already got a Bihar Special Courts Bill,
2009, passed by the state legislature which provides for confiscation
of assets of corrupt government servants. But the Bill’s awaiting
Centre’s approval.
“It is pending with the Centre since March this year despite reminders
from the CM who has even met Union law minister Veerappa Moily in this
regard,’’ a senior state official said.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/300-crorepati-babus-in-Bihar/articleshow/5306421.cms
chhotemianinshallah
Breaking News:
Poor forced to pay bribe to get kids into school: Survey
Kounteya Sinha , TNN 15 July 2008, 10:15am IST
NEW DELHI: Even India's poorest are being forced to pay bribes to
ensure their children go to school. Paying to get educated (TOI
Photo)
A Transparency International India-CMS survey that looked at
corruption in India's school education sector, specially focusing on
below poverty line (BPL) households settled in rural India has thrown
up shocking conclusions.
Around seven lakh BPL households in India paid bribe in the last one
year to avail services related to school education of their children -
the total amount paid as bribe being estimated to be around Rs 12
crore. Another nine lakh BPL households used contacts to get their
child admitted or promoted in school. However, another five lakh BPL
households weren't that lucky - their children couldn't avail such
services because they were either too poor to pay bribe or had
absolutely no contact or influence to use as an advantage.
The survey - that covered 22,728 randomly selected BPL households
across 31 states and union territories - said a majority of those who
paid bribe did so for getting their children admitted in the school or
for getting promotion of their children from one class to another.
Issuing school-leaving certificate was another lucrative business for
corrupt schools authorities. However, the amount bribed was highest
when it came for allotment of hostel. In comparison, a higher
proportion of urban BPL households (40%) paid bribe for new admission
and issuance of certificate as against rural areas (33%).
On the other hand, a higher proportion of rural BPL households (32%)
paid bribe for promotion of their children from one class to another
as against urban households (28%). The same is the case in applying
for scholarship where 12% rural BPL families paid bribe compared to 3%
urban BPL households. Of those who paid bribe, 86% paid it directly to
officials of the school while 12% paid it through middlemen.
According to the report, on an average, a BPL household had to pay Rs
171 as bribe in the last one year related to school education of their
children. While looking at states with moderate or high corruption in
the school education sector, the level of corruption in Bihar, Uttar
Pradesh, Meghalaya and Goa was found to be “alarming”.
Jammu and Kashmir, Manipur, Assam and Madhya Pradesh reported “very
high corruption” standards while Chandigarh, Delhi, Kerala, Tamil
Nadu, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Nagaland were put in the “high
corruption” category. States like Orissa, Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura
and West Bengal, despite figuring way below in the country's
Educational Development Index, reported “moderate” corruption, “thanks
to active citizenry or social pressure”.
More than one-fourth (28%) of BPL households across the country felt
that there was corruption in school education, while 41% felt that
there was no corruption in school education in the last one year.
In the survey, 22% of BPL households acknowledged that the school
education service had taken some initiatives to check corruption while
more than 40% BPL households felt that no measures were taken to check
corruption in the last one year. More than one-third (37%) of the BPL
households felt that the level of corruption in school education had
come down while 18% felt corruption level had increased in the last
one year.
The school education service report is part of a larger national TII-
CMS India Corruption Study 2007 study.
...and I am Sid Harth
chhotemianinshallah
PTI 26 August 2009, 12:19pm IST
NEW DELHI: Asking CBI and state anti- corruption officials to
aggressively pursue "high level corruption", Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh on Wednesday said the perception that "big fish" escape
punishment must change and they should act swiftly and without fear.
( Watch Video )
Opening a conference of CBI and state anti-corruption bureaux here, he
said there was no single remedy for fighting corruption which has to
be combated at many levels, one of which was making existing systems
less discretionary.
"High-level corruption should be pursued aggressively. There is a
pervasive feeling that while petty cases get tackled quickly, the big
fish escape punishment. This has to change," Singh said.
The Prime Minister said while quick investigation was important and
necessary, it was not sufficient to bring the guilty to book.
"Trials should be conducted expeditiously and judgements delivered
quickly. To begin with the aim should be to conclude the trial in two
years so that punishment could be given to the offenders within a
period of three years or so," he said.
Singh said the government has recently decided to set up 71 new CBI
courts and expected them to function as model courts, hold day-to-day
proceedings and avoid unnecessary adjournments.
The Prime Minister said the world respects Indian democracy, its
plural and secular values, independent judiciary, free press, its
commitment to freedom and peace and its pursuit of equitable and
inclusive growth.
"But pervasive corruption in our country tarnishes our image. It also
discourages investors, who expect fair treatment and transparent
dealings. As the country grows and integrates with the world economy,
corruption continues to be an impediment to harnessing the best
technology and resources," he said.
Singh said the urgent need to combat corruption cannot be over
emphasised as it distorts the rule of law and weakens institutions.
"It hurts our economic growth in a variety of ways apart from
hindering our efforts to build a just, fair and equitable society," he
said.
The Prime Minister said there is a constant refrain in public
discourse that much of what the government provides never reaches the
intended beneficiaries -- whether it is subsidised food grains for the
poor, loans, fertilisers or seeds on concessional terms for small and
marginal farmers or the benefit of employment programmes for the
unemployed.
"This should be a matter of serious concern for all of us
collectively," he said.
Singh said there was no single remedy for fighting corruption and
battle against it has to be fought at many levels.
"The design of development programmes should provide for more
transparency and accountability. Systems and procedures which are
opaque, complicated, centralised and discretionary are a fertile
breeding ground for the evil of corruption. They should be made more
transparent, simple, decentralised and less discretionary," he said.
The two-day 17th biennial conference of CBI, state anti-corruption
bureaux and vigilance agencies is being attended by their heads from
all states and Union Territories.
...and I am Sid harth
chhotemianinshallah
PTI 9 December 2009, 08:37pm IST
NEW DELHI: A special team of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) will
soon visit several countries as part of its probe into the alleged
multi-crore hawala and illegal investment case against former
Jharkhand chief minister Madhu Koda and his associates.
ED's move comes following issuance of Letters Rogatory (LR) by a
Prevention of Money Laundering Act court in Ranchi today, official
sources said.
Following the issuance of the LR, a team of ED officials will leave
for Liberia, Sweden, Thailand, Indonesia, UAE and Switzerland among
other countries, they said.
Koda is currently in judicial custody following his arrest by
Jharkhand Vigilance Department under a disproportionate asset case on
November 30.
ED had earlier sent out 'source information' to all the mentioned
countries based on seized documents including documents suggesting
secret swiss bank accounts.
While the LR is a formal legal document issued through the court on
behalf of an investigating agency to provide for documents and sharing
of relevant details with other countries, 'source information' is data
obtained on an informal basis by probe agencies worldwide.
chhotemianinshallah
THE LOOT AND SCOOT POLITICS OF INDIA
Brigadier Arun Bajpai (Retd)
Recently all major news papers in the country had their headlines
screaming of raids being conducted in eight states and sixty premises
of Mr. Madhu Koda, the ex chief Minister of Jharkhand and his four
accomplices in connection with a 2000 corers scam. Before this the
60000 corers telecom wrong doing was hogging the lime light with
fingers being pointed at the Telecom Minister of India Mr. Raja. With
these happenings becoming a regular feature in India one may tend to
agree with the recent global survey that rates India as 84 Th most
corrupt country in the World.
Jharkhand, one of the most mineral rich states in India had a unique
distinction some time back of Mr. Madhu Khoda, an independent MLA,
becoming Chief Minister of the state and continuing for 23 months,
duly supported by the Congress and RJD. None of these parties claimed
the coveted post of CM themselves. It was also a strange coincidence
that the Congress led UPA 1 Government at the Centre at that time did
not hesitate in clearing 24 mining proposals recommended by Mr. Madhu
Khoda, in his 23 months tenure. Needless to say it is grant of these
mining rights which has resulted in the present ill gotten wealth of
the Honorable Chief Minister leading to his present troubles.
Fingers are being pointed at Mr. Raja for a major telecom scam which
has costed the country to the tune of 60000 corers. Of course Mr. Raja
is denying that there was any wrong doing. He is even bringing in the
name of no less a person than Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh
himself by saying that he had kept him informed. Mr. Raja belongs to
the DMK party which is the coalition partner of the Congress led
Government at the Centre.
In Maharashtra the election results to the state assembly were
declared on 22 Oct 09.The coalition of Congress and NCP won the
election. The new Government should have taken office within two to
three days. However till 04 November there was no Government to govern
Maharashtra an economically the most developed state of India. This
impasse has been caused because the coalition partners failed to reach
agreement on the sharing of portfolios of the key ministries carrying
major pelf and perks. The big question is how these politicians can be
so callous to the people who elected them in first place? In democracy
it is the will of the people which is supposed to be supreme but in
India our politicians make this basic principle stand on its head.
After being elected they hardly show any sense of accountability and
sensitivity to the very people who elected them.
Hardly one year has passed since Karnataka, after a fairly long period
of instability, got a stable Government led by Mr. BS Yeddyrappa. Now
there is revolt against the Chief Minister Mr. Yeddyrappa from within
the ranks of his party the BJP. The Reddy brothers, the chief
architect of this revolt are supposedly close to mining magnets of
Bellary mining complex of Karnataka. They and their backers do not
like the ways of Mr. Yeddyrappa. They want a change. This is happening
to a party which claims that they are disciplined and are a political
party with difference. The sufferers will again be the people of
Karnataka. If the change does takes place it will not be long before
there will be a counter change, again a un ending cycle of
instability, all for personal gains.
These are only the recent examples. The Bihar Fodder scam, Taj
Corridor scam, Bofor Gun purchase scam, Note for Vote scam and so many
other scams, they all had got highlighted in media earlier. However no
politician or bureaucrat has ever been punished. In other words in
India the political party in power can do no wrong. One can loot as
much as one can, well knowing that law will never be able to catch the
culprit if he is in politics and wields power. Unfortunately the
politics in India has reached this nadir at a time when India is the
youngest country in the World, needing a strong leadership to guide
this predominantly youth polity, lest they go hay why. Today we in
India have 74 million people who are below the age of 35.This youth
has its dreams, aspirations, desire and energy to better their lot as
also of their country. To keep them focused we need jobs in the
country which must be urgently created .For this we need large scale
investments in infrastructure, agriculture and educational fields.
Most of all we need a responsive government which must make people of
India feel that it cares. We need dedicated and committed politicians
who live up to the basic standards of honest leadership. We need
transparency in Governance and upholding of law and order in the
country. With the Cancer of Corruption at high places eating away the
vitals of this country, currently all this is not possible. Needless
to say the treatment of this disease has to start from the top and at
the earliest. The big fish must be caught and punished for people to
see and develop faith in the Indian Democracy and our system of
Governance. The lip service will not do. This will also ensure that
the pseudo Robin hoods like Naxals and other terror groups who have
taken to arms against Indian Constitution for the cause of the down
trodden and are gaining ground in the country, will lose their support
base. 39 million people of this country live below poverty line and
barely get two square meals a day. This loot and scoot politics, if
not brought to an end will result in these people falling in the arms
of Naxal movement and other terror organizations which will then
become unstoppable.
For last more than a decade the much talked about Lok Pal Bill,
bringing all politicians under its ambiance, is gathering dust. No
Government wants to make it a law. Time has come now that it must be
implemented. All members of Parliament including Prime Minister must
be included in it. If the charges can be brought against ex French
President or ex Israeli Prime Minister, as is currently happening in
their respective countries, what is so special about our democracy,
Prime Minister and other ministers that they can not be charged for
any monitory wrong doing? The Lok Pal in Centre and Lok Ayukt in
States as also the Chief Vigilance Commissioner of India and states
Vigilance Commissioners must be appointed in a transparent manner.
This process must be institutionalized and must be broad based. These
institutions must be totally autonomous like the Election Commission
of India, with various appointments having fixed tenures. CBI must
also be made autonomous and brought under the control of Lok Pal.
Currently the CVC of India has powers only to recommend the start of
criminal proceedings against a bureaucrat. It the Government which
decides whether to proceed or not .This must come to an end. Let CVC
initiate the proceedings. Special courts must be set up to deal with
all these corruption cases and the existing laws must be simplified.
Once the charge sheet has been filed, the property of the accused must
be ceased till the finish of the case. All cases must be decided in
six months to one year duration. Let us not procrastinate on this
issue of corruption. The country is fast sliding into an anarchy mode
and the rampant corruption prevalent in all sections of the society is
the main cause. A country of one billion strong people can not afford
a perception that their leaders are corrupt and politics is a bad word
in India.
Brigadier Arun Bajpai (Retd), Journalist Free Lance, C-128, Tyagi
Vihar, Sharda Nagar, PO-Dilkusha, Lucknow-226002,
Telephone-0522-2446497. 9918383007. E-Mail-bri...@yahoo.co.in,
brigaru...@indiatimes.com
Posted by Naxal Watch at 9:05 PM
http://intellibriefs.blogspot.com/2009/12/loot-and-scoot-politics-of-india.html
chhotemianinshallah
RUDRA BISWAS
Ekka and Rai
Ranchi, Dec. 11: Enforcement Directorate (ED) today filed charges
under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act against former ministers
Anosh Ekka and Harinarayan Rai, both of whom are fighting Assembly
elections from jail.
Along with the charges, called “complaints” under the act, the ED also
sought permission of the designated judge, B. Jha Parvir, to name
their family members as co-accused.
In its complaints, the ED alleged that during the time they were
ministers between April 2005 and December 2008, Ekka’s unaccounted
assets were worth Rs 6.67 crore and Rai’s Rs 1.63 crore — accumulated
through siphoning of state funds.
The ED also submitted a list of 110 sale deeds of land and documents
of eight cars bought by Ekka.
“Further investigations are underway. Evidence with the directorate
reveal that many of the plots and other properties in possession of
the two former ministers have been bought by them in the name of their
spouses, family members and other near and far relatives,” the special
public prosecutor, Ranchi, S.R. Das, told The Telegraph.
Das pointed out that the ED had sought permission of the court to name
their family members and relatives as co-accused under the Prevention
of Money Laundering Act and also under the Indian Penal Code.
The ED would now file supplementary complaints against them, many of
whom had ignored its summons.
Both Ekka and Rai have been lodged at the Birsa Munda Central Jail
here since August 17.
While Ekka is contesting from Simdega and Kolebira, which goes to
polls tomorrow, Rai is fighting from Jarmundi, voting for which was
over in the third phase.
The ED has filed FIRs against Ekka, Rai, former chief minister Madhu
Koda and his close associates and other former ministers under the
Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
The state Vigilance Bureau has also filed charges against them for
possessing assets disproportionate to their known sources of income.
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1091212/jsp/frontpage/story_11854576.jsp
Sid Harth
Agencies
Posted: Saturday , Dec 12, 2009 at 1708 hrs
New Delhi:
With more than 50 Rajya Sabha members favouring impeachment of
Karnataka High Court Chief Justice P D Dinakaran, a petition in this
regard is likely to be submitted to the House Chairman Md Hamid Ansari
early next week.
A signature campaign is underway and more than 50 Rajya Sabha members
from BJP, Left parties and Samajwadi Party, among others, are
understood to have signed the petition, sources said. Congress members
have reportedly refrained from signing on the document.
As per rules, a petition containing signatures of at least 50 of the
250 member Rajya Sabha, which is the first step in the impeachment
process.
Under rules, the MPs' petition is sent to the Rajya Sabha Secretariat
for verification of signatures. On being satisfied that appropriate
procedures have been followed, a committee is set up for further
consideration of the petition.
The move to impeach Dinakaran has come in the backdrop of allegations
of land grabbing against him for which his elevation as a judge of the
Supreme Court has been stalled.
Government has already sent back Dinakaran's file to the Supreme Court
Collegium to reconsider its decision to elevate him.
A resolution, to be carried, should have the support of two-thirds
majority of the members present in each House of Parliament. After
this, the President will pass an order.
Comments (1) |
No wonder
By: Sumesh | 12-Dec-2009
No wonder, the BJP and CPM, which are upper caste dominated parties,
are joining hands against Justice Dinakaran. The people opposing
Justice Dinakaran, like 'eminent jurist' Fali S Nariman and the 'top'
lawyers, are the same people who unsuccessfully fought against caste
reservation in Supreme Court. In fact, Nariman, who signed memorandum
againt Dinakaran, himself had admitted that he doesn%u2019t know
Dinakaran or his deeds personally and he only heard about him from
other %u201Ctop%u2019 lawyers!! They just want to create a smoke
screen now and prevent another black skinned dalit from becoming
Supreme court Justice, so that they can continue with thier uppercaste
anti-reservation agenda in Supreme court.
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/justice-dinakarans-impeachment-petition-by-next-week/553366/
chhotemianinshallah
Updated on Sunday, December 13, 2009, 18:25 IST
New Delhi: Congress on Sunday appeared to steer clear of the move by
opposition members in the Rajya Sabha to bring an impeachment motion
against Karnataka High Court Chief Justice P D Dinakaran.
"Congress has not taken a decision on the issue either way and
therefore does not feel the need to comment on it", party spokesman
and member of the Upper House Abhishek Singhvi said when asked to
comment on the party's stand on the motion.
More than 50 Rajya Sabha members have reportedly favoured impeachment
of Dinakaran and a petition in this regard is likely to be submitted
to the House Chairman Mohammed Hamid Ansari early next week.
A signature campaign is underway and more than 50 Rajya Sabha members
from the Bharatiya Janata Party, Left parties and Samajwadi Party,
among others, are understood to have signed the petition.
In the early nineties, the first ever impeachment motion in India was
brought up against V Ramaswamy, an apex court judge, after he was
found guilty of misconduct by a committee of three judges.
Congress, which was also the ruling party then, had simply abstained
from voting at that time, leading to the defeat of the motion.
As per rules, a petition containing signatures of at least 50 of the
250 member of the Rajya Sabha is required, which is the first step in
the impeachment process.
Under rules, the MPs' petition is sent to the Rajya Sabha Secretariat
for verification of signatures. On being satisfied that appropriate
procedures have been followed, a committee is set up for further
consideration of the petition.
The move to impeach Dinakaran has come in the backdrop of allegations
of land grabbing against him, for which his elevation as a judge of
the Supreme Court has been stalled.
PTI
http://www.zeenews.com/news587114.html
chhotemianinshallah
December 14th, 2009 - 7:12 pm ICT by IANS -
New Delhi, Dec 14 (IANS) Seventy-five Rajya Sabha members, led by the
opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Monday submitted a petition
to upper house Chairman Hamid Ansari for impeaching Justice P.D.
Dinakaran. The Karnataka High Court chief justice faces allegations of
land grabbing and amassing wealth beyond his known sources of income.
“Notice of the motion signed by 75 members of the Rajya Sabha under
Judges (Enquiry) Act, 1968, for removal of Justice P.D. Dinakaran was
presented to the chairman of Rajya Sabha today (Monday),” an official
statement said.
BJP leader S.S. Ahluwalia said the notice seeking Dinakaran’s
impeachment has the signatures of 75 MPs, including from the BJP,
Janata Dal-United, Shiromani Akali Dal, Asom Gana Parishad, Biju
Janata Dal, the Left parties, Samajwadi Party, DMK and Telugu Desam
Party.
As per constitutional procedure, the chairman is now required to
constitute a committee of three people - a sitting Supreme Court
judge, a high court chief justice and a jurist - to inquire into the
charges and submit the report to the house.
If they find the judge guilty and recommend his removal, the matter is
sent for voting to parliament where the motion has to be approved by a
two-thirds majority of each house (present and voting) and an absolute
majority of the total membership of each house.
Ahluwalia said the constitution “is silent” about the time frame to
set the process in motion and constitute the committee.
“Let’s see what action he (the chairman) takes,” he told reporters in
Parliament House.
The BJP leaders said there was enough evidence which could form the
basis for Dinakaran’s impeachment.
“Dinakaran has acquired huge illegal wealth through benami (nameless)
transactions, unlawfully secured huge plots of land, has misused
official position. His conduct has shaken the faith of people in the
judiciary,” Ahluwalia alleged.
The ruling Congress party members do not figure among the signatories
on the notice.
Congress spokesperson and Rajya Sabha member Abhishek Manu Singhvi
said his party was yet to take decision on the matter.
“The Congress has not taken a decision on the issue. So it is not
proper to comment on it,” Singhvi told IANS.
Dinakaran faces allegations of acquiring disproportionate wealth after
he allegedly played a key role in helping the Karnataka’s Reddy
brothers bag an “illegal” mining project. His elevation to the Supreme
Court has been held back after the central government returned the
file recommending his promotion. The Supreme Court collegium is yet to
take a decision on it.
bademiyansubhanallah
Special Correspondent
76 Rajya Sabha members petition the Chairman seeking removal of
Karnataka Chief Justice
Photo: Rajeev Bhatt
Leaders of various parties (from left) D. Raja of CPI, Sitaram Yechury
of CPI (M), Arun Jaitley of BJP, Shivanand Tiwari of JD(U) and
Samajwadi Party’s Amar Singh addressing media persons on impeachment
of Justice P. D. Dinakaran, in New Delhi on Monday.
NEW DELHI: Seventy-six Rajya Sabha members on Monday formally
petitioned Chairman Mohammad Hamid Ansari, seeking the removal of
Karnataka High Court Chief Justice P.D. Dinakaran on several grounds
that include corruption and land-grabbing charges.
Cutting across party lines, members of the Left, BJP, SP, JD(U), TDP,
AIADMK and the BSP submitted the notice on the impeachment motion. A
Rajya Sabha Secretariat release said the matter “is being examined as
per the provisions of the Act and the rules framed thereunder.”
The motion was presented to Mr. Ansari in his chamber by Sitaram
Yechury and Brinda Karat of the CPI(M), D. Raja of the CPI, Arun
Jaitley and S.S. Ahluwalia of the BJP, Ram Gopal Yadav and Amar Singh
of the SP, K. Malaichamy of the AIADMK and Shivanand Tiwari of the JD
(U).
Mr. Ahluwalia said the notice mentioned the charges against Mr.
Dinakaran: alleged accumulation of wealth beyond known sources of
income; possession of plots in favour of relatives; ‘benami’
transactions; acquisition of agricultural holding beyond the ceiling
imposed by the Tamil Nadu government; illegal occupation of government
property, depriving Dalits of land; violation of their human rights;
destruction of evidence; obstructing officials from discharging their
duties; undervaluation of property; illegal construction in violation
of town laws; and abuse of judicial office. He said the notice was
supported by documentary evidence.
CPI(M) Parliamentary Party leader Sitaram Yechury said the MPs not
only exercised their right but also discharged their duty to ensure
that the allegations were probed. “Nobody else has such
responsibility.”
Mr. Yechury pointed out that a prima facie case was made out after the
recommendation of the Supreme Court’s collegium to elevate Justice
Dinakaran to the Supreme Court was returned by the Centre.
Under the process, he said, a three-member committee, comprising a
sitting Supreme Court judge, the Chief Justice of a High Court and an
eminent jurist, would go into the allegations detailed in the notice.
Mr. Raja said that since Justice Dinakaran could not be appointed a
Supreme Court judge, he could not be a judge in any High Court too.
http://www.hindu.com/2009/12/15/stories/2009121557330100.htm
bademiyansubhanallah
(Source: IANS)
Published: Tue, 15 Dec 2009 at 14:12 IST
New Delhi: The multi-crore money laundering scam involving former
Jharkhand chief minister Madhu Koda figured in parliament Tuesday with
the government admitting to deficiencies in a state-owned bank that
reported huge deposits by two companies involved in the scam.
"The RBI (Reserve Bank of India) has found defects of a technical
nature," Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said during question hour
in the Rajya Sabha.
Asked about the status of investigations into the deposits made by the
two companies - Balaji Universal Trade and Balaji Bullion - in the
Union Bank of India, Mukherjee said: "It is not possible to disclose
the entire scope of investigations in the house. This is still on."
"In the interest of the investigations and to take them to their
logical conclusion, I can't disclose anything. This will be done in
the courts," the minister added.
During the two-year period that Koda was Jharkhand's chief minister,
several of his close associates like Binod Sinha, Arvind Vyas, Sanjay
Chaudhary, became board members of Balaji Universal Trade and Balaji
Bullion - allegedly front companies to park illegal funds - by
acquiring a major stake in them. Investigators suspect that fake
invoices could have been made to route the multi-crore hawala money.
Asked to comment on the Union Bank of India stating that it had not
done any wrong and that the entire episode was only a "media storm",
Mukherjee retorted: "Unless the entire investigation is over, it is
not possible to give a complete answer."
Asked about the corrective measures that have been taken after the
Balaji issue came to light, the minister said: "This is a constant
exercise."
bademiyansubhanallah
Published by: Yateesh Kukreti
Published: Tue, 15 Dec 2009 at 13:07 IST
New Delhi: Government today admitted that the problem of fake currency
was "alarming and dangerous" as some groups are trying to destabilise
the Indian economy by injecting massive doses of counterfeit notes in
the country.
"There are two kinds of groups, one is of individuals working for
profits, but much more dangerous is the effort of injecting massive
doses of fake notes in the country, trying to destabilise the
economy," Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said in Rajya Sabha.
In his written statement, Mukherjee also admitted that the security
breaches of the notes were last updated in 2005 while a committee has
been set up in this regard.
"The situation is alarming," he said answering supplementaries during
Question Hour.
But, it would take another two years before upgraded security features
are included in the currency notes, the minister said.
He said it would be difficult to quantify counterfeit currency in
circulation. "It is anybody's guess," he said, adding that as per 2005
figures there are 48.9 billion pieces (of genuine currency) in
circulation and of these 0.001 per cent could be fake. There is no
authentic information about fake currency.
Mukherjee said he was not an "alarmist" as Finance Minister. "I cannot
afford to be one," he said, adding that more cases are being detected,
showing high alertness of government agencies.
Answering supplementaries, Mukherjee said there was no need to press a
panic button as steps are being taken to stop the racket.
Policies are also being revised to check the menace, he said.
"In a country of more than 120 billion, around 12 per cent of the
population still practise barter system. Arrests are being made and
legal process is on, it is a continuing process," he said.
http://www.samaylive.com/news/situation-of-fake-currency-alarming-says-fm/670664.html
chhotemianinshallah
Agencies
Posted: Dec 22, 2009 at 1825 hrs IST
New Delhi BJP today refuted BSP’s accusation that the impeachment
demand against Karnataka Chief Justice P D Dinakaran was victimisation
of a Dalit, saying judicial misconduct was a “caste-neutral issue”.
“Judicial misconduct is a caste-neutral issue. It always relates to
persons and not their background,” Leader of Opposition in Rajya
Sabha, Arun Jaitley said.
He gave the examples of previous impeachment cases involving Justice
Ramaswamy of the Supreme Court and Justice Soumitra Sen of Calcutta
High Court, saying they were from different castes.
75 Rajya Sabha MPs have signed on a petition submitted to Vice-
President Hamid Ansari demanding an impeachment motion against
Dinakaran. MPs from BJP, Left Parties, Samajwadi Party and AIADMK had
signed on the petition. Congress and BSP did not give their assent.
BSP supremo and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati wrote a letter
to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh against the demand for impeachment
and argued that Dinakaran, a Dalit, was being victimised due to his
caste.
Signatures of 50 Rajya Sabha MPs or 100 Lok Sabha MPs are required to
bring about such a motion.
Dismissing the caste argument, Jaitley said, “I don’t think caste can
be pleaded as a defence or a diversion..
chhotemianinshallah
TNN 24 December 2009, 02:22am IST
CHANDIGARH: While hearing the case against controversial Baba Pritpal
Singh, head of Gursagar Sahib Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, who is
facing cheating and fraud charges, Punjab and Haryana High Court on
Wednesday set a deadline of February 9 for Chandigarh police to arrest
him.
During the hearing before Justice Nirmaljit Kaur, UT counsel informed
the court that they have changed the investigating officer (IO) in the
case and handed it over to the crime branch for speedy investigation.
While giving the account of the investigation in the case, UT standing
counsel also informed the court that police have raided several places
and got some clues about the involvement of some other persons in the
matter along with the Baba. Importantly, the high court had pulled up
the UT police on the last date of hearing and had also observed that
police had no reason to wear uniform if they cannot arrest a person on
time.
Importantly, Chandigarh police had received directions from the high
court in August this year to arrest Baba Pritpal Singh within a week,
but police failed to nab him. Singh was booked in a land-grab case
under sections 420, 467, 468 and 471 of the Indian Penal code after he
allegedly sold a piece of land belonging to an NRI woman, Kanwaljit
Kaur, by making a fake GPA (general power of attorney).
Kaur was a follower of Singh. As soon as she left for abroad, Singh
allegedly got a fake GPA made and sold the piece of land worth crores.
When the buyers went to get the sale deed registered, it could not be
done following which they complained to the police and a case was
registered.
chhotemianinshallah
M Gunasekaran, TNN 24 December 2009, 02:59am IST
CHENNAI: A three-member team from the Survey of India will begin an
inquiry into charges of encroachment of public land by Karnataka High
Court Chief Justice PD Dinakaran on December 30, highly placed sources
said.
Survey of India (SoI) officials -- Major General R Sivakumar, M
Dharmaraj and Sanjaykumar -- will conduct the probe into issues
relating to the judge's land holdings in Kaverirajapuram village in
Tiruvallur district. The team would begin with some preliminary work
at the SoI's office in Guindy in the city on December 30. Tiruvallur
collector V Palanikumar, who had sent a report to the Supreme Court
confirming the charges that the judge was in possession of government
land, and a host of officials are likely to be heard by the team.
After discussions with the collector and revenue officials, the team
would hear Justice Dinakaran's version, the sources said. The
surveyors are likely to begin the spot inspection of the controversial
extent of land the next day.
The Supreme Court collegium headed by Chief Justice of India K G
Balakrishnan had last week put an end to the uncertainty over the
prospect of
J Justice Dinakaran's elevation to the apex court by deciding to nix
the recommendation it made in September. The CJI has subsequently
clarified that the judge's elevation is only on hold and that it has
not been dropped.
Last week, the Rajya Sabha chairman has admitted a petition seeking to
impeach Justice Dinakaran. However, the judge has denied the
allegation and has said that the collector's findings are wrong.
The CJI had earlier asked the Centre for an investigation by an
independent agency to verify the facts contained in two reports sent
by Palanikumar. In his report, the collector had said a total of 199
acres of government land had been encroached upon by Dinakaran and his
family members.
The science and technology ministry, under which the Survey of India
functions, has requested the state revenue department to ensure that
the district administration provides assistance and protection at the
time of the team's inspection. During the inspection, Justice
Dinakaran's representatives will be allowed to be present there. SoI
officials were tightlipped about their plans. They are expected to
submit a report after completing their work to the ministry for being
forwarded to the CJI for further action.
chhotemianinshallah
Press Trust Of India
New Delhi, December 25, 2009
First Published: 18:53 IST(25/12/2009)
Last Updated: 18:59 IST(25/12/2009)
In one of biggest scams of the country -- the Rs 622 crore fodder scam
-- the CBI has successfully managed to get conviction in 36 of the 60
cases filed by it in the last 13 years of probe.
In the latest judgement by Special CBI court in Ranchi, out of a total
of 59 accused 48 have been convicted with sentence ranging from
maximum six years to three years and accompanying penalty ranging from
Rs 35 lakhs to Rs 20,000.
The agency has taken up investigation of 64 fodder scam cases on the
orders of the Supreme Court and the Patna High Court in March 1996.
"Till now, judgements have been delivered in 36 out of the 60 charge
sheeted cases, out of which 35 cases have ended in conviction of the
accused persons. In the 36 cases decided so far, two hundred and
ninety eight (298) individual accused persons have been convicted and
sentenced," CBI spokesperson said here.
The official said in all these cases it had been alleged that accused
officials of the Animal Husbandry Department (AHD) of the Government
of Bihar in criminal conspiracy with unscrupulous suppliers,
bureaucrats, politicians and political executives withdrew and
misappropriated amounts totalling to Rs 721.89 crore from state
exchequer of the then Bihar state, now Jharkhand.
chhotemianinshallah
Nagendar Sharma, Hindustan Times
New Delhi, December 24, 2009
First Published: 22:54 IST(24/12/2009)
Last Updated: 22:56 IST(24/12/2009)
“Only because he (Justice Dinakaran) is a Dalit (is he) being
victimised,” the MPs Forum for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes
stated.
The forum said: “Justice Dinakaran is not the only judge in the
country against whom allegations of corruption have been levelled.
Many cases of corruption against judges have come up during the last
two years; why is he alone being targeted?”
In the game of one upmanship between some Dalit MPs of the Congress
and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) to highlight the “alleged
victimisation” of the Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court, P.D.
Dinakaran, the issue of corruption appears to have taken the backseat.
Top jurists have termed the new twist to the three-month-old matter
“dangerous and divisive”.
As the judiciary is considered the last bastion of Indian democracy,
the issue now is whether the principles of natural justice can prevail
over narrow considerations of caste, religion or language.
A day after 75 opposition MPs submitted a notice to the Rajya Sabha
chairman seeking impeachment of Justice Dinakaran on grounds of
corruption on December 14, Congress MP Praveen Rashtrapal, a Dalit,
raised the issue of so-called victimisation in the House.
The MPs Forum for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes agreed with
Rashtrapal’s initiative, and decided to raise the issue with Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh.
Sensing that the Congress had seized the initiative, Uttar Pradesh
Chief Minister and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati wrote to
Manmohan Singh on Saturday, demanding that Justice Dinakaran should be
given a chance to defend himself before any action is taken against
him.
The Congress has charged Mayawati with “jumping the gun” and
politicising a sensitive issue.
Party spokesman Abhishek Singhvi said: “Justice Dinakaran will get a
chance to defend himself during the impeachment
proceedings. I don’t think the Congress sees it as a caste- or
community-based issue. It will not be right to inject political
comments into it.”
However, the opposition parties say that the Congress has no right to
accuse the BSP of politicising the issue when its own MPs did it
first.
“The issue here is not politics and caste. It is a very serious issue
concerning the credibility of the judiciary. The fact is that the
Congress has so far not signed the impeachment motion and it cannot
accuse anyone of politicising the matter,” said senior Communist Party
of India (Marxist) leader Sitaram Yechury.
Noted jurist and former Supreme Court judge V.R. Krishna Iyer has
slammed the move to give a “Dalit twist” to the issue.
“In the Indian judiciary, a judge is known by his work and integrity.
There is another set of judges who are known for their incompetence
and corruption. There are no caste considerations in this brilliant
institution.”
Justice Iyer said: “Those who are trying to bring in caste
considerations in a case of wrongdoing are certainly not the
well wishers of judiciary.”
One of the most outspoken jurists and former Chief Justice of India,
J.S. Verma, said once the impeachment proceedings started all debate
must stop till the procedure is over.
“Absurd talk must stop in a case of this serious nature. Judicial
proceedings and those connected to them have no caste,” Justice Verma
said.
The government has adopted a cautious approach to the issue so far.
Law Minister M. Veerappa Moily, who earlier this month rejected the
recommendation made by the Supreme Court collegium to promote Justice
Dinakaran to the Supreme Court, is guarded in his reaction.
“The impeachment proceedings have started. This is a constitutional
process and it is not appropriate to comment on the issue now.”
The opposition is not impressed by Moily’s restraint. “Is it not a
fact that the government allowed the situation to spiral out of
control by dilly dallying on the issue for more than three months?”
said Bharatiya Janata Party’s Rajya Sabha Deputy Leader S.S.
Ahluwalia.
Former Supreme Court judge P.B. Sawant, who headed the judges’
committee to probe allegations against Justice V. Ramaswami, the only
committee to have submitted its report in an impeachment motion,
called for restraint.
Ramaswami was a Supreme Court judge who faced impeachment in 1993.
However, the motion could not be carried in Parliament through because
the Congress did not back it.
“Allegations are of corruption and nothing else. Dragging caste into
it will only complicate matters and help nobody, including the
individual being sought to be bailed out,” Justice Sawant said.
Raju charlesDec 24
Justice Dinakaran is victim of caste holocaust in India! Prime
minister Man Mohan singh please do justice to Justice Dinakaran .
Cheers to Dalits forum
Raju Charles
http://www.hindustantimes.com/News-Feed/india/Caste-in-corruption/Article1-490227.aspx
chhotemianinshallah
STAFF WRITER 20:7 HRS IST
Chennai, Dec 25 (PTI) In a breakthrough in the investigations into the
circulation of fake Indian currency notes in the country, a 48-year-
old man from Jharkhand has been arrested, police here said.
A team of the Tamil Nadu Crime Branch-CID arrested Manarul Sheikh from
Jharkhand after investigations in that state for over a month.
He is the fourth person from Jharkhand to be held in connection with
the racket.
Earlier in September, Alakash Sheik, Mohammed Raju Sheik, Mohammed
Zahir Sheik (all from Jharkhand), Latha and Rukshna (from West Bengal)
were arrested, a CB-CID release said today.
Ninety-one fake notes in the denomination of Rs 1,000 were seized from
them, it said.
Manarul Sheikh, who has been remanded to judicial custody, is
suspected to be involved in the circulation of fake Indian currencies
at many places in the country.
http://www.ptinews.com/news/440696_Counterfeit-currency-racket--key-accused-held
Sid Harth
Manu Pubby
Posted: Friday , Dec 25, 2009 at 0339 hrs
New Delhi:
Antony wanted an update on the land scam case which was first reported
by The Indian Express.
With the Army probe into the Darjeeling land scam case recommending
the sacking of the Military Secretary and action against three other
Generals, Defence Minster A K Antony today called Army chief General
Deepak Kapoor for an unscheduled meeting.
The Minister wanted an update on the land scam case which was first
reported by The Indian Express.
A Court of Inquiry recommended “termination of service” of Lt Gen
Avadhesh Prakash, Military Secretary at Army HQ and one of the
seniormost Generals, and court martial proceedings against Lt Gen P K
Rath whose appointment as Deputy Chief of Army Staff was later
scrapped by the Ministry.
The inquiry also favoured disciplinary action and court martial
against Major General P Sen and administrative action against Lt Gen
Ramesh Halgali, currently commanding the 11 Corps.
Antony had earlier ordered a separate inquiry into the land scam case
and had asked the Defence Secretary for a detailed report on the
probe.
Today’s meeting was called to discuss the report and recommendations
sent by the Eastern Army Commander, Lt Gen V K Singh. The Army Chief
has the option of accepting, diluting or overruling the
recommendations. Sources said action would also depend on how
seriously the political leadership takes the matter.
The inquiry found links between Prakash and a Siliguri real estate
developer, Dilip Agarwal, who brokered a controversial land deal in
Darjeeling.
Through phone records, the inquiry established, that Agarwal, who
secured no-objection certificates from the Army to purchase nearly 70
acres near the 33 Corps HQ in Sukna was in constant touch with Prakash
while the deal was being sealed.
Comments |
It is our Our Failure
By: Brig Rumel Dahiya | Friday , 25 Dec '09 18:07:08 PM
leadership comes in. Whereas some are punished others escape scrutiny.
Such people bring shame to the entire Army. I will not hide behind the
excuse that in comparison to civilian officials Army is any day more
honest. Most of the soldiers believe in the dictum that Caesar's wife
must be above suspicion. Corruption in the services needs to be
tackled and now. We owe it to our nation.
Citizens Justified in Being Angry, Army Needs to be Seriously
Concerned
By: brig Rumel Dahiya | Friday , 25 Dec '09 18:01:57 PM
The 'Land Scam Case',true or not, has justifiably caused anger and
concern amongst our citizens who hold soldiers in high esteem and
regard us for our sacrifices, discipline, patriotism and nation-before-
self approach. That is the reason why wrong doing in the Army makes
'news'. I have been a soldier for couple of decades and have been
proud to be so. I have known many absolutely honest, courageous
leaders of men in our Army. But it is true that there have been
people, many of them at senior levels who have not enjoyed good
reputation and the fact is known to most people. That is where failure
of leadership comes in. Whereas some are punished others escape
scrutiny. Such people bring shame to the entire Army. I will not hide
behind the excuse that in comparison to civilian officials Army is any
day more honest. Most of the soldiers believe in the dictum that
Caesar's wife musty be above suspicion. Corruption in the services
needs to be tackled and now. We owe it to our nation.
What's about the Army Chief
By: Pete | Friday , 25 Dec '09 14:59:52 PM
It has gone beyond the minimum acceptable standard - they all should
be sacked. Andy why not the Chief - he is in the same HQ. Has he not
got any moral responsibility? And who knows he be as well involved.
This is NO SMALL thing.
corruption in Army
By: raj | Friday , 25 Dec '09 14:39:20 PM
Mr. Antony, I think you are the person who can control the corruption
to some extend in Defence. I request to Hon. Minister to be checked
the Army Ordinance core. Whatever they purchase from the agent for
store to feed the rutine Army requirement. They make a big money
getting percentage from agent.Ordinance Depot receives one half store
and very low quality items due to given percentage to the Officer. I
have noticed and experienced 'cause I had worked there at Ordinance
Depot. If you may please be investigated to this matter,the big amount
of money can be saved of the Nation.
TO get his share of Scam Money
By: Chirag K. Shah | Friday , 25 Dec '09 13:51:26 PM
Ha ha...This is what he can do...Prepare a 3 panel commission and let
the slow Judicial process take it's course...This is what even my
driver would have done. Where is the leadership?
GENERALS HUMILIATING SACRIFICES MADE BY OUR JAWANS
By: Peter Zutshi | Friday , 25 Dec '09 13:31:41 PM
The shameless Generals of Indian Army, most of whom have been
commissioned after the 1971 war and hence never saw action, are
humiliating our soldiers who continue to make the supreme sacrifice
for the nation. This rot is more amongst the senior officers who are
always on the look out for what they can get 'gratis' from the Army.
All they seem to want is to become Governor (a la Gen JJ Singh)or join
some MNC after retirement - bhaad me jaye Army...
corruption is at every root stage
By: jackie | Friday , 25 Dec '09 13:25:03 PM
I would like to highlight one of my own personal experiences with the
defence people.i appeared for a coastal guard exam at chennai.all the
candidates was to be given trainfare by the central govt from their
respective places. At the coast guard examination centre,during the
course of exam we were asked to produce our train tickets and then
sign the forms that we recieved te money. but were told to collect the
money immediately after the exam. but after the exam, we were told we
will get the money back only after 3days and collect it then..Imagine
all had booked our return tickets on the same day..who will wait till
then??? this is deliberately done by them..but by whom we dont know...
this is how these guys make money...
DARJEELING ARMY SCAM 70 ACRES LAND
By: P.C.LUTHRA | Friday , 25 Dec '09 11:21:27 AM
33 ARMY HQ IN SUKNA LAND GRABING. THERE IS NO SECOND THOUGHT EVERYONE
INVOLVED FROM TOP TO THE BOTTOM BE TAKEN UP AND MADE TO BE DISPENSED
WITH IMMEDIATELY. NOW THE ARMY HAS BEEN DRASTICALLY AFFECTED AND THERE
IS NO REASON TO WAIT.WITHOUT PREJUDICE.
Et tu Brute?
By: malay kumar | Friday , 25 Dec '09 9:32:02 AM
It is amazing to see that in the Army too, greed is directly
proportion to the rank of the Officer and his personal expenditure
inversely proportional. A junior officer may not hesitate to pay for
what he enjoys, but the higher they go more painful is it to see them
part with even pittance.The dichotmy is glaring when the juniors are
repeatedly told in person as well as in public(like conferences and
public addresses)to refrain from corrupt practices and warned of
severe consequences if found guilty.It is good that at least some
cases are now being brought to light.
Damn these Gentemen Officers
By: Jaysheel Raina | Friday , 25 Dec '09 7:22:52 AM
Gone are the days, when person donning olive green dress were regarded
with great esteem. General Staff these days are not all intrested in
commanding their troops but finding ways to make money. These things
resembles the present status of Indian Army High Command. Incompitent
officers have made their way up and what I fear repeat of 62 where
General Officer handed over significamt chunk of land over to Chimese
without fighting and here we have Group of General Officers who did
not follow norms and handed over senstive land of some damn property
developer of fews coins... damn these gentlemen officers
It is our Our Failure
By: Brig Rumel Dahiya | Friday , 25 Dec '09 18:07:08 PM
leadership comes in. Whereas some are punished others escape scrutiny.
Such people bring shame to the entire Army. I will not hide behind the
excuse that in comparison to civilian officials Army is any day more
honest. Most of the soldiers believe in the dictum that Caesar's wife
must be above suspicion. Corruption in the services needs to be
tackled and now. We owe it to our nation.
Citizens Justified in Being Angry, Army Needs to be Seriously
Concerned
By: brig Rumel Dahiya | Friday , 25 Dec '09 18:01:57
The 'Land Scam Case',true or not, has justifiably caused anger and
concern amongst our citizens who hold soldiers in high esteem and
regard us for our sacrifices, discipline, patriotism and nation-before-
self approach. That is the reason why wrong doing in the Army makes
'news'. I have been a soldier for couple of decades and have been
proud to be so. I have known many absolutely honest, courageous
leaders of men in our Army. But it is true that there have been
people, many of them at senior levels who have not enjoyed good
reputation and the fact is known to most people. That is where failure
of leadership comes in. Whereas some are punished others escape
scrutiny. Such people bring shame to the entire Army. I will not hide
behind the excuse that in comparison to civilian officials Army is any
day more honest. Most of the soldiers believe in the dictum that
Caesar's wife musty be above suspicion. Corruption in the services
needs to be tackled and now. We owe it to our nation.
What's about the Army Chief
By: Pete | Friday , 25 Dec '09 14:59:52 PM
It has gone beyond the minimum acceptable standard - they all should
be sacked. Andy why not the Chief - he is in the same HQ. Has he not
got any moral responsibility? And who knows he be as well involved.
This is NO SMALL thing.
corruption in Army
By: raj | Friday , 25 Dec '09 14:39:20 PM
Mr. Antony, I think you are the person who can control the corruption
to some extend in Defence. I request to Hon. Minister to be checked
the Army Ordinance core. Whatever they purchase from the agent for
store to feed the rutine Army requirement. They make a big money
getting percentage from agent.Ordinance Depot receives one half store
and very low quality items due to given percentage to the Officer. I
have noticed and experienced 'cause I had worked there at Ordinance
Depot. If you may please be investigated to this matter,the big amount
of money can be saved of the Nation.
TO get his share of Scam Money
By: Chirag K. Shah | Friday , 25 Dec '09 13:51:26 PM
Ha ha...This is what he can do...Prepare a 3 panel commission and let
the slow Judicial process take it's course...This is what even my
driver would have done. Where is the leadership?
GENERALS HUMILIATING SACRIFICES MADE BY OUR JAWANS
By: Peter Zutshi | Friday , 25 Dec '09 13:31:41 PM
The shameless Generals of Indian Army, most of whom have been
commissioned after the 1971 war and hence never saw action, are
humiliating our soldiers who continue to make the supreme sacrifice
for the nation. This rot is more amongst the senior officers who are
always on the look out for what they can get 'gratis' from the Army.
All they seem to want is to become Governor (a la Gen JJ Singh)or join
some MNC after retirement - bhaad me jaye Army...
corruption is at every root stage
By: jackie | Friday , 25 Dec '09 13:25:03 PM
I would like to highlight one of my own personal experiences with the
defence people.i appeared for a coastal guard exam at chennai.all the
candidates was to be given trainfare by the central govt from their
respective places. At the coast guard examination centre,during the
course of exam we were asked to produce our train tickets and then
sign the forms that we recieved te money. but were told to collect the
money immediately after the exam. but after the exam, we were told we
will get the money back only after 3days and collect it then..Imagine
all had booked our return tickets on the same day..who will wait till
then??? this is deliberately done by them..but by whom we dont know...
this is how these guys make money...
DARJEELING ARMY SCAM 70 ACRES LAND
By: P.C.LUTHRA | Friday , 25 Dec '09 11:21:27 AM
33 ARMY HQ IN SUKNA LAND GRABING. THERE IS NO SECOND THOUGHT EVERYONE
INVOLVED FROM TOP TO THE BOTTOM BE TAKEN UP AND MADE TO BE DISPENSED
WITH IMMEDIATELY. NOW THE ARMY HAS BEEN DRASTICALLY AFFECTED AND THERE
IS NO REASON TO WAIT.WITHOUT PREJUDICE.
Et tu Brute?
By: malay kumar | Friday , 25 Dec '09 9:32:02 AM Reply | Forward
It is amazing to see that in the Army too, greed is directly
proportion to the rank of the Officer and his personal expenditure
inversely proportional. A junior officer may not hesitate to pay for
what he enjoys, but the higher they go more painful is it to see them
part with even pittance.The dichotmy is glaring when the juniors are
repeatedly told in person as well as in public(like conferences and
public addresses)to refrain from corrupt practices and warned of
severe consequences if found guilty.It is good that at least some
cases are now being brought to light.
Damn these Gentemen Officers
By: Jaysheel Raina | Friday , 25 Dec '09 7:22:52 AM
Gone are the days, when person donning olive green dress were regarded
with great esteem. General Staff these days are not all intrested in
commanding their troops but finding ways to make money. These things
resembles the present status of Indian Army High Command. Incompitent
officers have made their way up and what I fear repeat of 62 where
General Officer handed over significamt chunk of land over to Chimese
without fighting and here we have Group of General Officers who did
not follow norms and handed over senstive land of some damn property
developer of fews coins... damn these gentlemen officers
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/antony-calls-army-chief-over-darjeeling-land-scam-case/559066/
Sid Harth
J. Venkatesan
The All India Confederation of Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe
Organisations has questioned the motive behind the impeachment move
initiated by 75 members of Parliament against Karnataka High Court
Chief Justice P.D. Dinakaran.
Addressing a press conference, confederation chairman Dr. Udit Raj,
who is also the national president of the Indian Justice Party, said
Justice Dinakaran, a Dalit Christian, was being victimised.
He said: “It is precisely for this reason that 75 MPs have shown such
haste in initiating impeachment proceedings against Justice Dinakaran.
Why has such concern not been shown against other tainted judges? In
this issue, BJP MPs are playing a major role and this shows their
mindset.”
Dr. Raj said the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court had made a
recommendation for the impeachment of judge Soumitra Sen which was
duly accepted by the Chief Justice of India. Despite this, no
impeachment proceedings had been initiated against him. A sum of Rs.
15 lakh was found in cash at the residence of a judge in Chandigarh.
Here also, no impeachment action was initiated against the judge
concerned.
In the Ghaziabad provident fund scam, the names of several judges from
Ghaziabad appeared in the charge sheet, yet no impeachment proceedings
had been started against any of them.
He said that all sorts of allegations were being levelled against
Justice Dinakaran when he was a High Court judge in Tamil Nadu. “Why
did the judges and lawyers not level these charges when he was
promoted and appointed as the Chief Justice of the Karnataka High
Court,” he asked. “If Justice Dinakaran is really corrupt, then the
impeachment proceedings must start against him even though he has
given his clarification on the allegations. As far as the charge of
land grabbing is concerned, it is a very old case and it is not
necessary that if his relatives are involved in land grabbing, he is
also involved in the same.”
Mounting cases
Dr. Raj alleged that most of the appointments of judges “are made on
[on the basis of] casteism, favouritism and nepotism.”
He added: “There is no connection of capability or experience with
these appointments. Nowhere in the world are judges appointed by
judges. It is for this reason that in our country that the number of
judicial cases is mounting every day and the poor are being deprived
of justice. It is, therefore, imperative that there should be sweeping
changes in the appointment process of judges so that the judicial
system can be improved.”
http://beta.thehindu.com/news/national/article70618.ece
chhotemianinshallah
Jug Suraiya Friday November 20, 2009, 04:39 PM
Best-selling author Dan Brown has written a new international chart-
buster called Da Vinci Koda which deals with a secret more profoundly
perplexing than such eternal conundrums as the name of the houseboat
Jesus stayed in during his incognito sojourn in Kashmir (was it in
fact the Merry Magdalene?), and the encrypted evidence in the Dead Sea
scrolls which proves that Deepak Chopra is a direct reincarnation of
Mary Poppins, minus the flying umbrella. Yes, Brown's sensational new
book is about the greatest mystery of all times and climes: what
happens to all the money that gets unearthed in Indian scams? Scams
have long been a natural phenomenon in India, like the monsoons,
except far more predictable. And each new scam seems to be bigger,
better and generally scammier than the preceding one. So far so good.
But what happens to all the lolly, the loot, the crores and crores of
boodle, involved in each and every scam? Where does it go?
Take just one instance in the Koda case. A henchman of Jharkhand's ex-
CM Madhu Koda is said to have paid Rs 640 crore into a nationalised
bank. Let alone Rs 640 crore, you try putting in Rs 64,000 in cash
into any bank, nationalised, non-nationalised, or piggy, and the IT
heavies will jump on you with hobnailed boots and take you off
screaming to the dungeons to confess under pain of torture of being
repeatedly read out Article 17, sub-clause 15 (B) of the Income Tax
Act (1951) as to just how in hell or hawala you got your filthy little
hands on all that moolah, all 64,000 smackers worth of it.
Yet, in the Koda case the teller at the bank's cash counter apparently
didn't so much as blink an eyelid, let alone hit the alarm button
which would make red lights flash and sirens go off - WHOOO-WHEEE!
WHOOO-WHEEE! - summoning the Flying Squad. Nope. None of that. Just a
polite: Rs 640 crore to be deposited, sirji? Certainly, sirji. And
would sirji like a receipt? For the crores as well as the suitcase in
which the crores were carried? Here are sirji's receipts. Aur kuch
seva?
Rs 4,000 crore - give or take a zillion - in the Harshad Mehta scam.
Rs 1,400 crore in the Ketan Parekh scam. Rs 20,000 crore, and still
counting, in the Telgi fake stamp paper scam. Rs 7,800 crore, as of
now, in the Satyam scam. And now Rs 4,000 crore, plus an iron mine or
two in Africa, in the Koda scam. And going back into proto-history
there was the grandmother, the dadi, of all scams - the 64-crore
Bofors scam which began it all and has been immortalised in verse: We
look Bofors and after/ And pine for what is not/ Our sweetest scams
are those that tell of saddest loss. (Bofors? Only Rs 64 crore? Never
mind onions, potatoes and pulses. See what inflation has done to
scams. It'll get to the stage where the average middle-class family
won't be able to afford them anymore.)
Inflation notwithstanding, scams remain a staple in India. But the
curious thing about our scams is that as more and more of them are
exposed involving more and more money, the less and less of the loot
is ever recovered. If a percentage of the scammed-off cash were to be
got back, we'd not only wipe out our fiscal deficit but could
transform our Maoists who are holding the country to ransom into
portfolio managers for no-longer-dispossessed tribals who'd all become
HNIs, high net-worth individuals.
Where does the scammed money go? That's what Dan Brown's hero
archaeologist Robert Langdon has to find out in Da Vinci Koda. Is it
buried in an unmarked cache on the continent of Atlantis, has it been
sucked through a black hole into an alternative universe called
Haloom, which is moolah spelt backwards?
You don't have to wait until Dan Brown's book comes out to discover
the incredible truth. Just send 5,000 bucks in unmarked, used 100-
rupee notes and you'll receive a sneak preview of the devastating
denouement by return post. Address your application to P.O. Box SKAM
420. Hurry till stocks last.
http://blogs.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/jugglebandhi/entry/da-vinci-koda
Sid Harth
Press Trust Of India
New Delhi, December 26, 2009
First Published: 19:31 IST(26/12/2009)
Last Updated: 19:34 IST(26/12/2009)
Army Military Secretary Lt Gen Avadesh Prakash, facing the prospect of
disciplinary action in the Darjeeling land scam, could be in further
trouble with his name figuring in another case of financial
irregularity.
Prakash, who also holds the honorary rank of Colonel Commandant of the
Kumaon Regimental Centre, is under scanner in the Army inquiry into
alleged misuse of funds to build a war memorial at the Ranikhet-based
unit, Army sources said here.
A court of inquiry is underway into alleged financial irregularities
and procedural lapse in setting up of a Rs 1.7 crore war memorial at
Ranikhet in which Prakash's name has figured, the sources said.
Prakash's name cropped up as he is considered close to the Siliguri-
based private realtor to whom the contract for the memorial has been
awarded, army sources said.
The realtor is the same to whom a No-Objection Certificate was issued
by army in Darjeeling for sale of a piece of land near the Sukna
military station.
Prakash is already in the dock in the case related to sale of the 70-
acre land near Sukna station.
The realtor had reportedly made false claims about opening an
affiliate of the Ajmer-based Mayo College to get the NOC from the Army
in the Darjeeling episode.
The probe into the Ranikhet case of reported diversion of funds meant
for ex-servicemen's welfare towards the monument construction is
believed to have named a Major General, three Brigadiers, a Colonel
and two other officers, the sources said.
chhotemianinshallah
TNN 24 December 2009, 05:04am IST
PANAJI: A CBI team caught two customs officials accepting bribes from
foreign ships to allow them to enter the port.
Sources said that a superintendent of customs and a preventive officer
posted at MPT were involved in "illegally" taking imported goods worth
about Rs 40,000 from foreign vessels in the high seas. The officers
were entrusted with the task of giving clearance to foreign ships
arriving at MPT and anywhere else in Goa.
In a preventive raid, a CBI team comprising PSIs Ashok Yadav, Anil
Dabas, Sunil Nair among others maintained a watch on the activities of
the two officials from early Tuesday. They found that the duo went to
foreign vessels parked in the high seas at 7am on Tuesday along with
the shipping agent and returned with three polybags at 3pm.
On being checked, it was found that the bags contained imported
goods.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/Customs-men-nabbed-taking-bribes/articleshow/5372008.cms
chhotemianinshallah
Special Correspondent
CHENNAI: The Forum for Judicial Accountability on Saturday said the
probe by Survey of India officials into the alleged encroachment on
government land by Karnataka High Court Chief Justice P.D. Dinakaran
was an intrusion into the powers of Parliament and breach of
parliamentary privileges.
In a statement here, advocates Vaigai, Sriram Panchu, Geetha
Ramaseshan, Sudha Ramalingam and others urged the Centre to recall the
three-member team deputed by the Survey of India.
“Await the outcome of the enquiry under the impeachment proceedings
and refrain from in any manner interfering or influencing the outcome
of the constitutional process,” they said.
On December 17, Vice-President and Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari
admitted a motion moved by 76 MPs seeking the removal of Justice
Dinakaran for alleged acts of “misbehaviour” including corruption,
land grab and abuse of judicial office.
The advocates said that as per procedure the Chairman would appoint a
committee comprising a sitting judge of the Supreme Court, the Chief
Justice of a High Court and an eminent jurist under Sub-section (2) of
Section 3 of the Judges (Inquiry) Act, 1968 to go into the charges.
Reports recalled
In support of their argument, the advocates recalled two reports. The
first report, they said, was that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh agreed
with the Law Ministry that no enquiry was called for since the
Memorandum of Procedure for appointment of judges gave no such power
to the executive.
The Law Ministry had prepared a report on the basis of the material
received from the Chief Justice of India (CJI) and inputs from the
Intelligence Bureau, confirming the findings of the Collector of
Tiruvallur in Tamil Nadu, to reject Justice Dinakaran’s name for
elevation to the Supreme Court.
The second report was that CJI K.G. Balakrishnan himself stated that
there was no question of the Supreme Court collegium recommending the
elevation of Justice Dinakaran when the impeachment motion was pending
in Parliament
“Thus, if the issue is not before the Supreme Court collegium or
before the Prime Minister or the Law Minister, who are the
Constitutional authorities then at whose instance and under which
‘procedure’ is this ‘probe’ being conducted,?” the advocates said.
“Further, when removal of fence and destruction of evidence of
encroachment by Justice Dinakaran two months ago has been widely
reported, the exercise by the team of experts to examine a now non-
existent encroachment through a ‘discreet’ enquiry and without hearing
the villagers [of Kaverirajapuram] is destined to be a farce,” the
Forum said.
http://www.hindu.com/2009/12/27/stories/2009122759900800.htm
chhotemianinshallah
London, Dec. 27 (ANI): Lord Swaraj Paul has become the latest peer to
be investigated by the British police in the parliamentary expenses
scam, taking the total number of parliamentarians under scanner to
five peers and four MPs.
Lord Taylor of Warwick is also being investigated by the police. There
are probably two or three more cases being looked at by the police.
The list, with the addition of Lord Paul, a friend of Prime Minister
Gordon Brown, will pose a huge challenge to the Labour party in an
election year.
Paul, a high profile politician, gave 45,000 pounds to Brown’s
leadership campaign and has also reportedly donated more then 400,000
pounds to the party.
Two months ago, it was revealed that Paul, one of Britain’s richest
men with a 500 million fortune, had claimed 38,000 pounds by saying
that a hotel he owned in Oxfordshire was his “main home”.
He said that he had been living in a small one-bedroom flat on the
property when, in fact, it was occupied by the hotel’s manager.
Paul admitted that he had never actually slept there, but said he was
entitled to call it his main home as it was available for his use.
At that time, Paul’s main residence was in London where he had lived
for more than 40 years.
However, by saying that his main home was outside London he had been
able to claim overnight expenses intended for peers who live outside
the capital.
Police decided to launch a formal investigation into Paul after a
report published in The Telegraph was reviewed by a joint panel of
detectives and the CPS.
Police passed files to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) in November
on four of the politicians: Baroness Uddin, Lord Clarke of Hampstead,
Lord Hanningfield and Elliot Morley MP. Another two files were sent
off last week.
The CPS is expected to decide on whether to press charges from next
month. (ANI)
chhotemianinshallah
New Delhi, Dec 24 (PTI)
After three years of probe, CBI on Thursday filed a chargesheet
against the two sons of former Haryana Chief Minister Om Prakash
Chautala and was awaiting a nod from the state assembly Speaker to
charge the father as well in a disproportionate case
The chargesheet was filed here in the designated court against Ajay
Chautala and Abhay Chautala for allegedly having assets 339 per cent
and 522 per cent more than their known sources of income.
The CBI also sent a report to Haryana Speaker for obtaining permission
for prosecuting Om Prakash Chautala. "Chargesheet will be filed
against the former Chief Minister for alleged possession of assets
more than his known sources of income once the requisite persmission
from the Speaker was received," a CBI spokesperson said.
According to the chargesheet against Ajay, CBI claimed he was in
possession of assets to the tune of Rs 27.74 crore --339 per cent more
than his income Rs 8.17 crore during the period of 1993 to 2006.
The second chargesheet was filed against Abhay alleging his assets
were 522 per cent more than his income of Rs 22.89 as per Income Tax
records during the check period of 2000 to 2005. The agency claimed to
have found Rs 119.69 crore worth of assets.
CBI had registered a case in a designated court here in April 2006 and
searched 24 premises of the Chautalas in Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan,
Himachal Pradesh, Uttaranchal and Chandigarh during which it had
sezied cash of Rs 13 lakh and froze five bank accounts containing Rs
1.34 crore belonging to Chautala and his family members.
The investigating agency's FIR listed the moveable and immoveable
properties belonging to either Chautala or his family members that had
been acquired between July 1999 and March 2005 when they were public
servants.
The FIR alleged Chautala and his family members had plots at prime
locations in Gurgaon in Haryana, Karol Bagh in Delhi, Manali in
Himachal Pradesh, Nainital in Uttarakhand and Chandigarh besides a
hotel and a restaurant in upmarket Karol Bagh, a shopping mall, six
plots of agricultural land, six farm houses and cash and jewellery
worth Rs 50 crore.
CBI had conducted a market survey and claimed in its FIR filed in
April that the total value of all the properties was Rs 1,467 crore.
CBI stumbled upon the assets belonging to Chautalas during the
searches it carried out on April seven, 2005, in connection with
alleged malpractices in recruitment of school teachers in Haryana, a
case handed over to the agency by the Supreme Court.
CBI had claimed the assets disproportionate to Chautala's known
sources of income were "phenomenal" and would require an extensive and
in-depth investigation.
User Comments
By: danendra jain
On: 27 Dec 2009 09:00 am
If anyone is seriously interested to avoid recurrence of story like
Ruchita’s story, one should leave no stone unturned to strike at the
root cause behind such sad story. It is very much essential to punish
all those who were involved directly or indirectly in supporting ill â
€“ motives of Mr. Rathore. Necessary police reformation, judicial
reformation, administrative reformations have to be carried out in the
shortest period and political intervention in these spheres has to be
completely stopped to achieve a long lasting and sustainable solution
to shortcomings and deficiencies of the system. India has plenty of
laws and India lacks only persons who can boldly enforce the existing
laws to punish the real culprit and save the innocent. Those people or
social organizations who are talking of framing new laws and new rules
or amending the constitution are making simply Bakwas and they in fact
do not want to do anything, rather inclined to support the culprit in
disguise. To prove the effectiveness of the government, it must take
immediate steps and respond spontaneously after the happening of an
ugly incident and at least after decision of the court. In case of
Ruchika, all including political leaders and chief ministers should be
punished who directly or indirectly supported the corrupt person like
Rathore to go up the ladder in his career, who diluted the police case
or court cases against Rathore either by false witnessing or wrong
recommendation either in writing or by building pressure through phone
or musclemen , who took unjustified and unwarranted action against
Ruchika, who intimidated Ruchika and her family, who contributed in
creation of an environment which forced Ruchika to commit suicide or
those who killed her and all those who tortured brother of Ruchika by
framing false charges. Some people are now talking of filing another
case against Rathore or fresh CBI inquiry or filing a petition for
enhancement of punishment are really trying to postpone the decision
or action in the matter for further two decades till the accused dies
his natural death. Mere stripping of police medal or stopping of
pension payable to Mr. Rathore is not enough to punish person like
Rathore. It is more important to see whether the government is able to
punish all those person also who supported Mr. Rathore in carrying out
his ill motive and to punish who indirectly colluded with him. At
least 100 persons should be punished, suspended or dismissed or jailed
or booked to task to create a fear in the minds of all who perpetuate
and promote wrong culture in the public life. The case of Ruchika
should sound alarm bell for all culprits and the clear cut message
should be sent all over the country , made visible like crystal clear
and it should be made understandable that government is really serious
to maintain good governance.Justice to Ruchika lies in not only
punishing severely Mr. Rathore but in making the system effective
Danendra Jain Ganaraj Choumuhani Agartala 799001 Tripura 27th December
2009
http://www.deccanherald.com/content/43075/cbi-files-chargesheet-against-chatualas.html
chhotemianinshallah
Manish K Pathak / DNA
Tuesday, December 29, 2009 1:33 IST
Mumbai: Police have arrested three people from Malad for allegedly
duping several peoplein a double-your-money scheme floated a few
months ago. The accused, apprehended last week, lured investors with a
promise to double their investments in just 19 days.
An officer of the Malad police station said Rajiv Singh, 24, the main
accused, is from Uttar Pradesh. Singh, who came to the city five years
ago, promoted the investment scheme with the help of accomplices Karim
Makhnojia, 58, and Lunkush Dwivedi, 20. Earlier, their office was in
Bandra, which they later shifted to Kandivli and then to Malad this
month.
The accused, who also promoted their plans through a website, had
floated several schemes and the minimum investment amount was Rs5,000.
Also, they had promised the investment agents that if they brought
more investors, they would be rewarded with gifts such as cars and
flats.
The police said that within a few days of opening their office in
Malad, the trio had got investments up to Rs35 lakh. The data in the
computers seized by the police from their office have revealed that
hundreds of people -- from the city as well as other states -- had
made investments in the schemes floated by them.
"The total investment in their schemes could be in crores, as many
other investors have approached us," a senior officer from the Malad
police station said, adding that bank accounts of the accused have
been frozen.
http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report_three-held-for-double-money-con-in-mumbai_1328589
chhotemianinshallah
PTI Tuesday, December 29, 2009 14:42 IST
Beijing: State company Czars and other top officials in China have
been found to have indulged in luxuries like buying fancy cars and
other consumer durables at state expense.
The country's national auditor is saying that officials stole or
misused a staggering USD34.4 billion this year after a nation-wide
audit was conducted, official news agency Xinhua reported.
But now the authorities are cutting down hard. Over 1,068 people,
including government officials, have been handed over to disciplinary
or judicial authorities for their roles in the missing funds, the
agency said.
"Embezzlement, waste of money and false fiscal reporting still existed
in central departments, despite some improvements," Xinhua quoted Liu
Jiayi, the country's chief auditor, as saying at a conference.
With such a huge amount going missing from public funds, an alarmed
prime minister Wen Jiabao told auditors to crack down hard on
embezzlers.
Misconduct included unauthorised purchase of cars and other consumer
durables by government officials and agencies, Liu said at the
conference.
He said investigators recovered 16.3 billion yuan (USD2.4 billion)
following the audit which covered 99,000 companies, government
agencies and public institutions across the nation.
The auditor said, "We should enhance awareness among officials of the
stiff anti-embezzlement laws, and set up a clear accountability
system."
China announced its firm resolve last year to crack down hard on
corruption, as it launched a 4-trillion-yuan stimulus package to halt
sharp drop in exports.
http://www.dnaindia.com/world/report_china-says-billions-missing-from-public-funds_1328723
chhotemianinshallah
PTIFirst Published : 31 Dec 2009 12:09:26 AM IST
Last Updated : 31 Dec 2009 08:23:59 AM IST
CHENNAI: A team from Survey of India appointed by the Centre to probe
alleged land grab charges against Karnataka High Court Chief Justice P
D Dinakaran in his native village in Tamil Nadu, today began a probe
enquiring from revenue officials and representatives of the judge.
Revenue officials said that they had provided details to the team on
the alleged encroachment of 199 acres of land.
They said the team was expected to visit Kaverirajapuram village in
Tiruvallur, where Dinakaran is alleged to have encroached the land, by
next week.
The team also heard representatives of Justice Dinakaran, they said.
Justice Dinakaran's elevation to the Supreme Court was jeopardised in
the wake of charges of amassing disproportionate assets and land
encroachment against him in the village.
On the directions of the Supreme Court, the District Collector had
sent reports on the alleged encroachment even as the Judge had denied
the charges against him, saying he would "come out clean" on the
matter.
Comments
dear on line editor, Wish a happy new year to the ediotr and all thise
who read thiscomments.This probe shouldnot consumemuch time only the
followingpointsbe athuenticated (1) Extend of lnd, its location, from
whom bought, when boijy, costof land,,whether the money has been paid
by instruments or in cash if i cash it is illegal and one way of
deceiving the authorities When and which subregistr office registered,
etc If thse are found the probe ca be autheticated andmatter reported
Of course the survey party can survey to know clearly the area covered
in this transaction dated Decedmber 31st 2009 time 0644HRS ISt AM
By P.M,G.Pillai
12/31/2009 6:45:00 AM
chhotemianinshallah
Express News Service
First Published : 31 Dec 2009 03:39:00 AM IST
Last Updated : 31 Dec 2009 07:19:29 AM IST
CHENNAI: “Our probe into the allegations of land grab levelled against
Karnataka High Court Chief Justice P D Dinakaran will reflect the
ground reality,” said Major General Dr R Sivakumar, who is part of a
three-member Survey of India panel conducting the inquiry, on
Wednesday.
Speaking to reporters after meeting the representatives of Justice
Dinakaran and the Tiruvallur district administration here, Sivakumar
said, “We will reflect the ground reality. That will help the
authorities arrive at a conclusion on the issue.” Two other members of
the panel, M Dharmaraj and Sanjaykumar, were present along with him
during the first day of inquiry at the Survey of India office at
Guindy.
Justice Dinakaran’s wife Dr Vinodhini along with other family members
and well-wishers from Kaverirajapuram appeared before the team and
submitted documents, claiming their innocence on the issue.
For their part, a five-member official team comprising Tiruvallur
District Collector, Additional Director-Survey, Tahsildar-Tiruttani,
Village Administrative Officer (VAO) and Joint Commissioner- Land and
Reforms presented documents showing land patterns in Kaverirajapuram.
Responding to a question about the team’s proposed visit to the
controversial spot, Sivakumar said, “The team will definitely visit
the spot to assess the existing condition. The whole exercise is
expected to be over in oneand- a-half months.” Though the team members
did not specify when they would visit Kaverirajapuram, sources said
the spot inspection could happen on January 4.
Meanwhile, the Tamil Nadu Kisan Sabha expressed shock over the probe
at a time when Parliament had admitted an impeachment motion against
Justice Dinakaran in Rajya Sabha. In a statement, sabha president K
Balakrishnan questioned the legality of the probe and said that the
“enquiry is wholly unwarranted and a gross interference with the
powers of Parliament.’’ Likewise, several civil society organisations
in the State requested the Chief Justice of India to intervene
immediately and stop the probe by the Survey of India, claiming it
interfered with the constitutional process.
chhotemianinshallah
T S Sekaran
First Published : 31 Dec 2009 03:35:00 AM IST
Last Updated : 31 Dec 2009 07:21:23 AM IST
THREE major incidents rocked the State this year and shook up the
judiciary, including the lawyers and the police.
The first one was the issue relating to Justice P D Dinakaran, who is
facing allegations of grabbing vast extent of government and poromboke
lands in Kaverirajapuram in Tiruttani taluk, Tiruvallur district.
Justice Dinakaran, who has put in nearly a decade’s service on the
bench of the Madras High Court, was elevated as Chief Justice and
posted to the Karnataka High Court in 2008.
When his name was proposed for appointment as a judge of the Supreme
Court two months ago, the Forum for Judicial Accountability, led by
advocate R Vaigai, sent representations to the SC and its Collegium,
charging him of land grab.
The whole nation was shocked. At present, an impeachment motion has
been moved against him in the Rajya Sabha.
The judgment of Justice K Suguna of the Madras HC on December 7,
rejecting the plea of the farmers in Kaverirajapuram for a direction
to the revenue authorities to issue pattas in their names in respect
of certain lands in dispute, is considered to be another blow to
Dinakaran.
The second issue related to the statement of Justice Regupathi, a
judge of the Madras High Court, in the open court on June 29 that a
Union Minister had attempted to influence him to pass orders in favour
of two accused seeking anticipatory bail.
This raised the disturbing question whether Union ministers were in
the habit of influencing judges and were the latter succumbing to such
pressures.
Though the matter appears to be closed following the statements of the
Chief Justices of the Madras High Court and the Supreme Court and the
grant of the relief sought for by the accused by another judge, a PIL
questioning under what authority R K Chandramohan, the counsel for the
two accused, who happened to be the chairman of the Bar Council of
Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry, is continuing in the post, has been filed.
The third issue that damaged the reputation of the advocates and the
police personnel was the unprecedented violence at the High Court on
February 19.
A division bench of the Madras HC, which in its judgment on October 29
chided the top cops, equally castigated the advocates involved in the
ugly incidents.
The violence was a fallout of an earlier ‘uncivilised’ act of the
advocates on February 17, when Janata Party president was assaulted
and abused with filthy language in the court hall of a division bench.
Over 50 working days were lost in the agitations by the advocates and
the ultimate sufferers were the litigant public, who lost their faith
in the lawyers and started arguing cases before the respective judges
themselves.
chhotemianinshallah
Express news service
Posted: Jan 02, 2010 at 0351 hrs IST
New Delhi Defence Minister A K Antony is understood to have asked Army
Chief General Deepak Kapoor to expedite the process of disciplinary
action against Military Secretary Lt Gen Avadhesh Prakash and three
other generals allegedly involved in the Sukna cantonment land scam.
As first reported in The Indian Express, Prakash is alleged to gave
colluded with private builders to clear no-objection certificates from
the Army for construction on land next to the cantonment.
Government sources told The Indian Express that this comes when Army
Headquarters is examining the report of Lt General V K Singh
recommending “termination of services” (under Rule 19 of the Army Act)
of Prakash and disciplinary action against the others. Prakash retires
on January 31.
It’s learnt that General Kapoor has sent the report to be legally
examined by Director General (Disciplinary Vigilance) under the
Adjutant General Lt General Mukesh Sabbarwal before he takes the final
call.
Defence Ministry sources said Antony, as an appellate authority, is
waiting for the Army Chief to take the call on Singh’s recommendation.
“The Defence Minister does not want the case to drag on or get
sidetracked by Army Headquarters politics,” said a senior official.
For, there is an attempt by some in the Army Headquarters to portray
that Prakash is a victim of a tussle between Kapoor and his expected
successor V K Singh. It sees the delay in action on part of the Army
Headquarters as part of the exercise to let Prakash off with “a
censure or a displeasure.”
bademiyansubhanallah
Agencies
Posted: Monday , Jan 04, 2010 at 1151 hrs
Kochi:
Pinarayi Vijayan's petition for examination of A K Antony in the graft
case has been turned down.
The CBI Special Court here on Monday dismissed a petition filed by CPI
(M) Kerala secretary Pinarayi Vijayan, an accused in the Rs 100-crore
graft case, seeking a direction to CBI to examine Union Defence
Minister A K Antony in the case.
Dismissing the petition, CBI special court judge K P Jothindranath
said the court cannot interfere in the case. CBI had opposed the
petition saying since the chargesheet had been laid in the case, it
cannot be reopened. Vijayan's counsel M K Damodaran, who is a former
Advocate General, had argued that all relevant documents should be
looked into by the investigating officer for a 'transparent'
investigation.
The investigating officer should look at all material documents till
2005 relating to the case, he said. The case relates to the alleged
corruption in the award of contract to S N C Lavalin, the Canadian
company, for renovation of three hydel project in 1998 when Vijayan
was the power minister.
According to Vijayan, who is the seventh accused in the case, Antony
was the Chief Minister till May 1996 and G Karthikeyan was power
minister then. The contract, including the supply of materials and
consultancy was concluded on February 24, 1996 during the tenure of
Karthikeyan.
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/graft-case-petition-against-antony-dismissed/563150/
chhotemianinshallah
STAFF WRITER 19:14 HRS IST
New Delhi, Jan 4 (PTI) The Supreme Court today issued notice to the
Centre and the Karnataka government on a plea for taking action on a
report of the Lokayukta pointing out irregularities and illegality in
mining operation in the state and adjoining Andhra Pradesh.
A Special Forest Bench headed by Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan also
sought within six weeks response from the Andhra Pradesh government
and apex court-appointed Central Empowered Committee on a PIL filed by
NGO Samaj Parivartan Samudaya.
The NGO sought a ban on illegal mining and transportation of iron ore
from the mines in Bellary, Chikmaglur and Shimoga.
The PIL has referred to the report of the Lokayukta that said that
most of the blocks for mining activities in the reserved forest area
have been illegally dereserved.
http://www.ptinews.com/news/452595_SC-notice-to-Centre--Karnataka-govt-on-mining
bademiyansubhanallah
Army chief updates Antony on Sukna land scam probe
PNS | New Delhi
The Army authorities are likely to submit their report to Army chief
General Deepak Kapoor about the course of action against Military
Secretary Lt General Prakash, who is allegedly involved in a land
scam, in few days. Meanwhile, pressure to act against the Military
Secretary is growing. Kapoor met Defence Minister AK Antony here on
Tuesday and reportedly apprised him of the progress in the case.
However, Army sources denied that the Sukna land scam issue was
discussed in the meeting and said the Army chief was yet to receive
the final report from the Adjutant General. Antony has said that no
officer would be spared, however highly placed, if found guilty.
Incidentally, Kapoor and Antony had a one on one meeting on December
24 in connection with the case after the Eastern Command submitted the
court of inquiry report to the Army Headquarters. The Eastern Command
reportedly recommended dismissal of the Military Secretary, who is
retiring on January 31, on the basis of the findings of the probe.
The Adjutant General was examining the findings of the court of
inquiry into the land scam case in which no objection certificate was
given to an educational institution to build a school on a piece of
land adjacent to the Sukna cantonment in Darjeeling.
Sources said the Adjutant General would finalise his recommendations
after due consultations with the legal and vigilance department and
then forward the course of action as per the laid down procedure to
the Army chief.
The Army chief will take the final call after consultations with the
legal department and then put up the case to the Defence Minister,
they said. Scotching speculations that Prakash would be allowed to
retire before any action, sources said the Army chief was aware about
this fact and would take a 'responsible decision'.
It was learnt that Prakash would be asked to put in his papers and
would not be served a show cause notice. Sources, however, said in
case a notice was issued and if it led to instituting a court martial,
the officer could be asked to face it till three years after his
retirement.
http://www.dailypioneer.com/227321/Army-chief-updates-Antony-on-Sukna-land-scam-probe.html
chhotemianinshallah
Express News Service
Posted: Jan 06, 2010 at 0340 hrs IST
Vadodara The Gujarat police on Tuesday detained five of the seven men
accused in the misappropriation case in the Anand-based Karamsad
Cooperative Bank. Among them was former BJP MP Natubhai Manibhai
Patel. Former BJP MLA and state cabinet minister from Anand, Dilip
Patel, was not to be found.
The Gujarat High Court on December 23 had passed an order to
investigate the case.
The state Crime Investigation department (Economic Offences) picked up
the board members and office bearers from Anand town this morning and
declared Dilip Patel an absconder.
"We arrested five of the accused from Anand," said Additional DGP,
(CID), V V Rabari.
Giving details, SP, Anand, A K Jadeja said one of the accused Dilip
Patel could not be traced during the operation. Another accused,
Jamnadas Patel, an office bearer, died of heart attack last year.
According to sources, the accused detained today are likely to be
arrested tomorrow.
The CID (Economic Offences) has estimates the scam to be worth Rs 70
crore, which the board members siphoned off by taking loans from the
now-defunct Karamsad Cooperative Bank in Vidyanagar town.
Natubhai Patel, sources said, was the secretary of the cooperative
bank when loans worth crores were made available to the office bearers
and their relatives. According to the police complaints in Vidyanagar
police station and PIL application filed by businessman Hitesh Patel,
some of these loans were either written off by the office bearers
themselves, while some were given to the people who were not even
under the bank's jurisdiction set by Reserve Bank of India. The RBI
had cancelled the license of the bank in December 2006 after several
complaints of irregularities. The bank is undergoing liquidation now.
Last September, a public interest litigation was filed by an Anand-
based businessman, Hitesh Patel. Acting on the PIL, Chief Justice for
the Gujarat High Court, M R Shah, taking note of the delays in
investigation, passed an order asking the CID, Crime (economic
offences), take action against the accused. The CID followed it up
with the transfer of the investigation officer. The next hearing is on
January 28 during which the CID has to submit a progress report.Other
board of directors who were arrested includes, Arvind Vaghji Patel,
Suresh Rambhai Patel, Narendra Parshottam Patel and Narendra Jasbhai
Patel, who served as board of directors.
chhotemianinshallah
Sleaze India Inc
PRAFUL BIDWAI
The dominant culture of our corporate nabobs has contempt for
democracy and regards profiteering as its right – to be respected by
the state.
THEY were supposed to be the brightest and the best – products of the
finest that India has to show by way of technical prowess, and shining
examples of what industry, perseverance and innovation can achieve in
a globally important sunrise industry. Our information technology
professionals put India into the cutting-edge sector of the world
economy; they even helped make the earth flat, in the super-adulatory
but illusory description of the Roaring Nineties.
IT rookies were considered “rainmakers”, who would produce miracles
through unstoppable 20 to 30 per cent growth year after year. Why,
some business analysts even thought computer software would become a
new paradigm, where “development” could be achieved while bypassing
the traditional route of industrialisation and broad-based services.
This magic wand would allow India to raise standards of living across
the board without addressing the people’s elementary needs, including
health care, education and nutrition, leave alone redistribution of
assets. This might be the Great Shortcut our rulers have always
craved.
Going by the mystique around them, our IT professionals personified
the virtues of honesty, commitment, self-confidence, an adventurous
spirit and loyalty to their companies, clients and shareholders. They
could do no wrong. They were the best grooms on the marriage market.
They were everybody’s favourites. They deserved all the pampering the
industry got – tax exemptions, land at concessional rates, and low-
cost connectivity.
The Satyam scandal has shattered the dream. We have a scam, where the
amount stolen – going by promoter-chairman B. Ramalinga Raju – is two
and a half times higher in absolute terms than that was lost in the
Enron scandal. Involved here is every trick in the scamster’s book:
forging bank certificates, inflating expenses, spiriting away assets,
and browbeating senior executives.
It defies credulity to believe that over seven years Ramalinga Raju
did not take large sums out of Satyam to buy real estate and other
assets, influence business contracts, and bribe politicians and
bureaucrats in return for favours. According to officials in the
Ministry of Corporate Affairs, his family floated more than 100
companies, 23 of them branded with the “Maytas” name alone.
Underlying the Satyam swindle is the failure of all supervisory
bodies, including PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PwC), the statutory auditor,
independent directors, and Securities and Exchange Board of India
(SEBI). Irregularities were reported in PwC’s handling of Satyam
accounts in 2001, but there was no investigation. Similarly,
complaints filed with SEBI were not pursued. PwC, which has audited
Satyam’s accounts since 1991, should have faced punitive action from
the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI). The ICAI’s
disciplinary council met, but failed to act.
Satyam’s independent directors acted largely as rubberstamps. When the
board met in mid-December to approve the scandalous proposal to invest
$1.6 billion in Maytas, it ignored the elephant in the living room:
the conflict of interest in buying a company floated by the promoters’
family in an unrelated business.
Even worse was SEBI’s approval for Satyam’s foul transactions,
including the Maytas deal. Other authorities also ignored complaints
about illegal land allocations to Satyam group companies in different
cities, in violation of their master plans.
A major reason for these gross failures of supervision and regulation
is the naive belief that in order to create a favourable investment
climate, state agencies must sincerely trust entrepreneurs, and it
must be generally assumed that corporations tell the truth – unless
proved otherwise. This makes nonsense of all considerations of
prudence and precaution, including rigorous verification of accounts
and tough investigation into grey areas. It also ignores the specific
context in which the IT industry has recently evolved. This is marked
by fierce competition in the low-value-added, largely repetitive
software development business. Not every IT company is an Infosys,
which reportedly looks for challenging assignments in high-end
businesses. Although it was the IT industry’s Number Four, Satyam had
690 clients, most of them small. The average firm is smaller and faces
bigger challenges.
Under tight conditions, there is an increased temptation to look for
shortcuts such as artificially boosting company ratings by employing
more people than necessary, paying bribes to win contracts, and
moneymaking through funds diversion and speculative investments.
What is true of Satyam may be true of many other IT companies. The
World Bank has blacklisted two well-known firms, besides Satyam, for
making “improper payments” (read, open bribes or favours like stock
options). This, plausibly, could be the tip of the iceberg. Official
agencies have failed to discover irregularities or subject IT
corporate activities to scrutiny on the assumption that they are, must
be, all in order; it would be counterproductive to rock the boat. This
has promoted lack of accountability and impunity, and encouraged IT
entrepreneurs to assume that they are immune from critical scrutiny.
Coupled with the celebration of the Greed Creed in our media and
social discourse, and the neoliberal doctrine that there must be no
limits on incomes, profits and wealth, this culture of impunity makes
for a deadly cocktail.
Following the older Friedman (Milton), many of our businessmen have
convinced themselves that their only corporate social responsibility
is to make profits. And following the younger or lesser Friedman
(Thomas), they tell themselves that the world is flat: it is only
natural that their consumption should match that of the elites in the
industrial North. So they must make money by any means.
There is an even stronger reason to suppose that Satyam is not a one-
off case or exception. A major feature of the swindle is its
connection with land and political leaders under different regimes.
Some of the biggest concessions and doleouts handed over to
corporations in India concern natural resources and the
infrastructure, including land, hydrocarbons, minerals, water,
airwaves and spectrum within the telecommunications band.
This is the site of a particularly odious intersection or collusion
between greedy businessmen and politicians sold on the neoliberal
model. That is where some of the greatest scams are to be found. This
warrants deep and serious investigation by an impartial commission,
which must open up natural-resources contracts signed over the past
two decades.
Irrational deregulation
Impunity for businessmen in the so-called New Economy closely follows
actual practice in brick-and-mortar companies, where patently
irrational deregulation has aggravated corruption and corporate
malfeasance, which have long been rampant.
My off-the-record conversations with corporate executives over a
number of years suggest, as do many highly credible independent
accounts, that a substantial proportion of promoters in many
businesses in India routinely milk their companies by inflating
project costs (and siphoning off the difference), appointing buying
and selling agents who will give them a cut, fudging input costs and
product prices, misrepresenting contents to duck duties and value
added tax, under- or over-invoicing imports and exports, and by
systematically evading taxes. The gutting of the composite textile-
mill industry is a terrible instance of this. Indian businessmen have
stashed away billions of dollars in bank accounts abroad. According to
a recent report attributed to the Swiss Banking Association, the
estimated amount is an astronomical $1,456 billion, higher than the
deposits from all other countries put together.
Criminality has long been an integral part of business in India. And
the general ethos of the business community has got increasingly
debased over the past couple of decades. The introduction of
neoliberal policies has done nothing to change this.
Indeed, as Rajeev Chandrasekhar, president of the Federation of Indian
Chambers of Commerce and Industry holds liberalisation has not
produced “a new type” of entrepreneur – “espousing good corporate
governance and honesty as the norm. Actually, the reverse is true…
increased opportunities and a significant effect of political
influence and public policy on the creation of wealth have… created
more greed and far too many corporates… walking the narrow line
between right and wrong… This is the ugly side of economic
liberalisation.…”
The dominant culture of our corporate nabobs has contempt for
democracy and regards profiteering as its right – to be respected by
the state. The campaign by industrialists such as Ratan Tata, Anil
Ambani and Sunil Mittal for making Narendra Modi India’s Prime
Minister is a consequence of this culture. They love Narendra Modi
because he is a ruthless administrator dedicated to promoting business
interests no matter what the social cost. He offers businessmen terms
that no other Chief Minister does.
In the Nano case, for instance, he has given the Tatas a Rs.9,500-
crore loan at 0.1 per cent for a project investment of Rs.4,000 crore,
besides stamp-duty waiver, cheap land and dedicated water and power
supply. This will subsidise the Nano by an estimated 60 per cent.
Guaranteed such superprofits, our businessmen can erase Narendra
Modi’s role in the 2002 communal pogrom and its cover-up. All that
matters to them is “efficiency” – read, centralised, authoritarian
decision-making, which favours them. After all, Italy’s businessmen
too admired Mussolini because he made “the trains run on time”. German
industrialists adored Adolf Hitler for building autobahns and the
industrial infrastructure even though he conducted the Holocaust.
This speaks of abysmal moral degradation and fascination for a
pathological politics totally opposed to a civilised democratic ethos.
An elite so deeply implicated in shielding criminality and communalism
forfeits its right to leadership.
Volume 26 - Issue 03 :: Jan. 31-Feb. 13, 2009
INDIA'S NATIONAL MAGAZINE
from the publishers of THE HINDU
http://www.flonnet.com/fl2603/stories/20090213260310000.htm
chhotemianinshallah
STAFF WRITER 23:4 HRS IST
Kolkata, Jan 9 (PTI) Former Mayor of Kolkata Municipal Corporation,
Subrata Mukherjee today demanded a CBI enquiry into the alleged misuse
of Rs 2,000 crore funds provided by the Asian Development Bank for
projects on drainage and sewerage in the metropolis.
"There is ample evidence that the fund was misused by senior officials
of the Corporation," Mukherjee, also the president of the West Bengal
unit of the INTUC, told the 50th annual conference of KMC Majdoor
Panchayat here.
Only only a CBI enquiry could unravel the truth as many bigwigs were
involved in the scam, he added.
http://www.ptinews.com/news/461024_Subrata-demands-CBI-enquiry-into-KMC-scam
chhotemianinshallah
R Jagannathan / DNA
Sunday, January 10, 2010 9:00 IST
Bangalore: Much has been made of the fact that Bihar has been an
economic outperformer in the last five years. This is attributed to
improved governance that has coincided with the regime of chief
minister Nitish Kumar. Bihar now joins Gujarat at the top, with 11.03%
GDP growth over 2004-09, just a whisker below Gujarat’s 11.05%.
Better governance usually means improved law and order and lower
corruption. While there is some correlation between improved law and
order and higher growth, there is no evidence that corruption impedes
growth. India ranks a lowly 84th on Transparency International’s
corruption index, but we are a miracle economy. Both corruption and
economic growth have bloomed together. During the UPA regime we have
seen brazen corruption (telecom licenses, defence deals, Koda,
Satyam), and the only reason we don’t care is because the man at the
top looks saintly.
Is it possible that corruption provides its own spur to economic
growth? When corruption is democratised (not hogged by a few) and
widespread, it may even be lubricating growth. When money is spread
over a larger number of recipients, it breeds inclusivity.
Let’s take an example. Indians are the world’s worst drivers (or best
ones, considering our ability to survive any road). This is not
because we don’t like to follow traffic laws, but because we don’t
know driving. We join driving schools to obtain a licence, not to
learn good driving habits. We pay the school to keep the RTO chap
happy, so that we do not flunk the test. In fact, one can often get a
licence without turning up for a driving test.
You can also obtain a licence by learning with your uncle’s car, with
you elder brother playing coach. But it’s not a sensible decision.
First, you queue up for a learner’s licence; after you learn your A-B-
C (accelerator-brake-clutch), you queue up again for a test. Then,
once again to receive the licence. If the RTO inspector does not smell
moolah from your end, you may not get it.
On the other hand, you have created lots of jobs by winking at bribery
through the driving school. The schools create jobs for drivers, and
the umpteen facilitators at the RTO. Every rupee that goes to someone
corrupt also helps the economy. Dethroning this corruption-driven
micro economy will entail many job losses and short-term economic
strife. Corruption is an economic stimulant, just like Pranab
Mukherjee’s deficits.
Now take NREGA. This flagship jobs scheme has benefited the rural
economy, and brought the Congress back to power. But if you think it’s
because every poor person got Rs100 a day in wages, you are mistaken.
A good chunk of NREGA money went not to the poor, but to the rich
middleman. But the poor aren’t complaining. They are happy to get door-
to-door service, much like your driving school that delivered your
undeserved licence. The poor are happy to accept Rs25-50 (instead of
Rs100) from NREGA middlemen because they don’t have to turn up for
work. The rich share their gains with politicians—who help keep the
scam going. Politicians bribe voters on election day and, once again,
a part of the money comes back to the poor NREGA non-worker, since he
is now a voter. Every person who’s on the take, hoards or spends the
money somewhere. This money again works for the economy. Along the
way, it feeds millions of people, including the poor. Every corrupt
rupee creates its own jobs, its own beneficiaries. In fact, the only
tainted rupee which does not help the Indian economy is the bit that’s
salted away in Swiss banks (or other tax havens). It will be creating
jobs there.
The best way to make this money return is to invite it back. We need a
scheme that allows any remittance from anywhere without explanation if
a tax of 30% (or whatever) is applied to it on entry. Tainted money is
merely money on which tax isn’t paid. But in economic terms, is that
such a bad thing? If taxes are paid, some of it is anyway handed back
to corrupt NREGA or defence contractors. So, there.
One is not arguing in favour of corruption, but even black money does
good. Corruption is a moral issue, and corrodes the economic machinery
over time. But it greases some vibrant parts, too. The economic case
against corruption isn’t ironclad.
http://www.dnaindia.com/bangalore/report_is-corruption-good-or-bad-jury-is-out_1332965
chhotemianinshallah
PTI Sunday, January 10, 2010 20:19 IST
Guntur: Senior Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leader and former home
minister of Andhra Pradesh K Siva Prasad Rao has alleged a Rs26-crore
scam in the supply of 2 lakh quintals of rice to Tamil Nadu.
Speaking at a press meet at the TDP office here today, he charged that
an Andhra minister has demanded a bribe of Rs130 per quintal from a
Rice Millers Association for entrusting the rice supply order to them.
Siva Prasad Rao wondered why the AP State Civil Supplies Department
has not accepted the offer of Rice Millers Association to supply rice
at Rs100 per quintal lesser than the Food Corporation of India (FCI)
price of Rs1,770 per quintal.
The party leader wanted the Andhra government to disclose the price
which the Tamil Nadu government is willing to pay.
chhotemianinshallah
PTI Tuesday, January 5, 2010 17:46 IST
Mumbai: The CBI today said it would file a charge sheet against
Sarabjot Singh, son of National Commission for Scheduled Castes
chairman Buta Singh, within five days in a corruption case.
"Sarabjot alias Sweety, and another accused, Anup Begi, will be
charged under criminal conspiracy and various sections of the
Prevention of Corruption Act," Rishiraj Singh, director (Western
Region), told reporters here.
He, however, refused to divulge whether the statement of Buta Singh,
recorded by the CBI in September last year as a witness, would be
included in the charge sheet.
Sarabjot was arrested on July 31 last year for allegedly demanding a
bribe of Rs1 crore from Nashik-based contractor Ramrao Patil for
closing a case pending against him before the Scheduled Castes panel
headed by his father.
Along with Sarabjot, three others— Anup Kumar Begi, Madan Singh
Solanki and Dhukh Singh Chauhan — had been arrested.
"Solanki and Chauhan may be shown as approvers in the charge sheet,"
Rishiraj said.
chhotemianinshallah
Bureau
PTI Friday, January 1, 2010 19:14 IST
Shimla: A charge sheet is likely to be filed soon against Virbhadra
Singh and his wife Pratibha Singh in the graft case registered against
the couple in July last year, State Vigilance and Anti-corruption
Bureau today said.
"The charge sheet in the CD case is likely to be submitted in the
court by the end of this month or early next month," State Vigilance
and Anti-corruption Bureau director general DS Manhas said.
Singh has replied to the questionnaire sent by the bureau in
connection with the case, but further clarification has been sought
from him with regard to voices in the CD, he said.
An FIR was registered against the Union steel minister and his wife, a
former MP, by the vigilance bureau last year on the basis of a CD
released by former Congress minister Vijay Singh Mankotia in 2007,
allegedly containing voices of Singh, his wife and a former
bureaucrat, late Mohinder Lal, talking about bribe money around the
year 1989.
Earlier, the Central Forensic Laboratory, Chandigarh, had confirmed
the voice of Singh in the CD.
chhotemianinshallah
PTI Wednesday, December 30, 2009 14:26 IST
Kochi: Kerala CPI (M) secretary Pinarayi Vijayan, arraigned as an
accused in a graft case relating to awarding of contract to a Canadian
firm during his tenure as power minister in 1998, was today granted
bail by a CBI special court here.
Judge KP Jothindranath granted bail to Vijayan, and directed him to
furnish a bail bond of Rs2 lakh and two sureties for the like amount.
Vijayan, accompanied by his counsel MK Damodaran, appeared before the
court and sought bail. Heavy security arrangements were made at the
court when Vijayan, accompanied by a host of party leaders, arrived.
CBI had filed a chargesheet listing Vijayan as the seventh accused in
the case relating to alleged corruption in awarding of contract to the
Canadian company SNC Lavalin for renovation of three hydel projects in
1998.
The CBI special court had on June 23 issued summons to all the nine
accused, including Vijayan, in the case, to appear before the court on
September 24. Vijayan had failed to appear on medical grounds.
Lavalin official Claus Trendl and Lavalin company have not yet
accepted the summons.
Five accused — former principal secretary (power) K Mohanachandran,
former KSEB chairmen R Shivadasan and Siddharta Menon, former chief
engineer (Generation) Kasturiranga Iyer and former joint secretary
(power) A Francis — were earlier granted bail on a bond of Rs2 lakh
and two sureties for a like amount.
Sid Harth
Enemy within
BHASKAR GHOSE
The cancer of corruption is something the Prime Minister has
repeatedly mentioned. Sadly, nothing of substance has been done to
tackle it.
AFP
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi at
the 125th Foundation Day celebrations of the Congress in New Delhi
when the foundation was laid for the “Indira Gandhi Bhawan”, on
December 28. Manmohan Singh listed terrorism, communalism, naxalism
and regionalism as the four major challenges before the country.
ON the 125th anniversary of the Congress party, observed on December
28 in New Delhi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh listed the four major
challenges before the country: terrorism, communalism, naxalism and
regionalism. One cannot quarrel with that statement, as these are
indeed formidable concerns. But he might have added one more to the
list, something that is an insidious and persistent cancer in public
life, that has vitiated every arm of governance and every public
institution, including the judiciary and the armed forces.
Corruption.
It is a phenomenon that never ceases to astonish – that so many
persons who are educated, and educated well in many cases, who are
trained to serve the country, who are shaped and disciplined to act
even if it means sacrificing their lives, should then become common
thieves, helping themselves to bribes, to pilfering public funds and
behaving in the same manner as burglars and ruffians. One wonders how
these people can face their families, their wives, sons and daughters
– assuming they are not party to the thievery of their fathers. They
will, of course, have the usual, and often comic, defence – they are
innocent; they have been set up; they are victims of a deep and dark
plot by deep and dark people. But given the elaborate provisions of
the law that this privileged lot has to protect itself, put in place
many years ago by those who needed them to help themselves to public
funds and fat bribes, it is a wonder that they have been caught and
charge-sheeted. And if they have been, the Central Bureau of
Investigation must have foolproof cases; its officers would not risk
their own careers otherwise.
Where and how does it start? Consider an Army officer. He starts out
with his course-mates, and while some of them sacrifice their lives in
a major conflict or a skirmish, he goes on to become a general, even
an Army Commander, and while becoming one, begins to steal and thieve.
He enters into sleazy deals with people who are the scum floating in
the darkest levels of society, people with whom he would, in normal
circumstances, never have had dealings of any kind. But he does.
Consider an Indian Administrative Service officer, who is assumed to
be bright – he does pass two examinations to get in, one of which is
fairly rigorous. As he is entrusted with more and more
responsibilities, eventually as Chief Secretary in a State, he has
begun to put his hand in the till, no different in any way from the
traffic constable who takes hafta from truck drivers every evening to
buy his drink. Except that he takes much more, crores, to be precise,
and he wears a suit, or that dreary uniform of the bureaucrat, the
bandhgala, the buttoned up suit.
We have examples in the judiciary as well, not only in the lower
courts but in the highest court in the state. What happened? Were they
not earning enough as lawyers before they were made judges, and as
judges, was their salary really inadequate? When they were made
judges, were they not selected because of their distinguished record
as lawyers or in the judicial service? What happened after that?
Going down the ladder, all of us know that there is not a municipal
corporation or municipality that is not eaten up by corrupt officials
at all levels and that nothing, literally nothing, can be done without
paying them. The police forces are, of course, no less corrupt, and it
is said that an honest constable is generally considered by his peers
to be a consummate fool.
This cancer is something the Prime Minister has mentioned in some of
his public addresses or statements, but it is something about which,
one has to say with great sadness, nothing of any substance has been
done. Commissions and committees are no remedy. This is a disease that
has to be diagnosed and studied by the Prime Minister and some of the
close colleagues – carefully selected by him personally – acting
quietly and in secret.
Only then can they come up with some answers and some action to
eliminate corruption, or at least make it difficult for public
functionaries to take to corrupt ways. The answers have to be
imaginative and unusual because the corrupt are among the most clever
and perceptive and will find their way round things as simple as an
order to declare assets and the like.
They must begin by trying to determine what makes an officer corrupt.
Education? Family influence? Values learnt from associates? If they
can identify the factors the remedies may suggest themselves. Again,
the temptation to appoint a committee must be resisted. They can call
in some whose opinion they feel will help them and talk to them. But
that is all they must do. They will, of course, know that there will
have to be different courses of action for different levels of public
activity. There can never be one answer to this problem.
It is important that no less a person than the Prime Minister
considers this urgently because he knows that the work planned by his
government may come to nothing because of this all-pervasive disease.
There is something else that he surely knows only too well – that
corruption goes hand in hand with influence and nepotism. Not too long
ago the country was appalled to learn of the manner in which a senior
police officer sexually molested a 14-year-old girl and then stalled
all proceedings against him for 19 years, until the media blew the
whistle on him. The case of the Indian Police Service officer, S.P.S.
Rathore, highlights what influence can do to derail all attempts to
get justice.
What is absolutely essential in public life, in our institutions, is
not getting justice. Justice is a word that is defined differently for
different things, and tied up with fine, legal interpretations that
usually make it ineffective or inadequate.
What is essential is that right is done. This is non-negotiable. If
right is done, or is sought to be done, by the one single power in the
country that does not have even the faintest stain of corruption, then
we may survive through this new year to the next.
Volume 27 - Issue 02 :: Jan. 16-29, 2010
INDIA'S NATIONAL MAGAZINE
from the publishers of THE HINDU
http://frontlineonnet.com/stories/20100129270209000.htm
chhotemianinshallah
ANI
Posted: Tuesday , Jan 12, 2010 at 1029 hrs
New Delhi:
Army General wants strict action against those involved in the Sukhna
Land scam.
Army Chief General Deepak Kapoor on Monday evening recommended to
initiate administrative action against Military Secretary and other
senior Generals who were indicted by the Court of Inquiry (COI) in the
Sukhna Army Land Scam, said sources.
Military Secretary Lt Gen Avadesh Prakash was to retire from the
service on January 31. The Defence Ministry will initiate action
according to the Army Act.
Prakash was one of the eight principal staff officers (PSOs) at the
Army Headquarters who acts as an advisor to the Army Chief.
Earlier, in December 2009, the Eastern Army Command chief, Lt. Gen.
V.K. Singh, had recommended a summary dismissal for Prakash.
The report also recommended initiating proceedings against Lt. Gen.
P.K. Rath, whose appointment as deputy chief of army staff has been
scrapped by the Defence Ministry.
It was reportedly learnt that General Kapoor’s action came after
coming under severe pressure by the Defence Minister A K Antony.
The proceedings of the Court Martial will also be initiated against
Lt. Gen P K Rath, and Maj. Gen P C Sen, who were also allegedly
indicted by the CoI report.
According to top Defence Ministry Sources, “Army has been always forth
coming in taking action against any wrong-doing in the services and
Army Chief has recommended action against Generals implicated by Court
of Inquiry.”
Earlier also, Gen Kapoor earlier stated that tough actions would be
initiated against any wrongdoings in the Army.
15 Comments |
intence prison ................ for guilty of army officer.
By: anup agarwal | Tuesday , 12 Jan '10 22:33:28 PM Reply | Forward
this is ridiculous to see that our army in india is totally corrupted
one .
Sukhna Army Land Scam
By: lt col p l verma | Tuesday , 12 Jan '10 20:32:49 PM
33 Corps Chief and other senior general officers come under Eastern
Command Chief Lt Gen V K Singh.If the scam involved obtaining NOC for
the land which is a state government subject it is hard to believe
that Gen VK Singh was not aware of it.At times very senior officers
because of their personal interests want to see their brother officers
to get invoved in some kind of dragonian Army Act punishable offences
so thatat their cost they are benefited in promotion matters or for
personal vendetta they act errationally like children without
bothering about the damage they inflict on the image of armed forces
brethren. No doubt no one should be spared if there is a bonafide case
against some body howsoever high one is.Army Chief has to move with
caution and dignity.
Honest army
By: subhash chander tewari | Tuesday , 12 Jan '10 18:08:54 PM
I wonder at the proposition,that an honest army is supposed to defend
interests of a generation of corrupt and immoral politicians,police
and public as well.If the forces of goodness unite no evil can stand.
COURT MARTIAL OF SENIOR OFFICERS
By: JOHN | Tuesday , 12 Jan '10 17:43:32 PM
It is very sad to see that corrupt officers are let off in this way.
This will set a bad precedent and already many are there. In this
country politicians are never punished, but recently officers have
also become untouchable. Secondly, the disciplinary authority should
understand that he as an institution not as an individual taking
actions. The office of Army Chief is no small one and every Indian
feels proud of the person who holds that post. Anyway the Appelette
Authority (Defense Minister) can overrule these decisions.
Sukna LAND SCAM
By: Brig(Retd) A K Joshi | Tuesday , 12 Jan '10 16:51:22 PM
After reading the latest comment,i am of the view that no more
comments be invited as the matter is turning to be murkier and let the
central govt take decision. But it should be done before 31 Jan 2010.
We may however,restrain the COAS from finalising the caselest it is
hit by law of double jeopardy.
Army Chief powers over the senior officers
By: anshul | Tuesday , 12 Jan '10 14:45:45 PM
There is no doubt that the Chief of the Army Staff is empowered to
issue a show cause action before awarding his censure.But the question
arises is the offence so trival for disposal by award of his censure?
As reported in the press, it appears that they had tried to cause
illegal gain to a builder and hence can be said they were primafacie
answerable of offences under sec 52(f)of the Army Act,1950 in which
case there is an embargo on disposal by award of censure. Be that as
it may,any censure given by the COAS to his Military Secretary will
have no effect on him as he(MS)is retiring on 31 Jan and the censure
be erased. But another option is that let the censure be given by the
Central Govt and that will remain in the dossier of the officer
permanently. Again, the question arises is the ends of justice met? I
think let the Central Govt decide.But the COAS by issuing the show
cause notice has foreclosed the option available to the Govt to decide
the course of action.
army officer retd
By: col sc varma | Tuesday , 12 Jan '10 14:29:04 PM
fix and screw with draw medals stop pension andnot permitted to add
his rank IF FOUND GUILTY
Where is the case heading?
By: Abhilash | Tuesday , 12 Jan '10 13:07:35 PM
I see it as two generals COAS and EAC showing there power. One is
present COAS other is likely next COAS.The efficient leaking of report
since oct 27 ,2009 shows the motive of the Officers incharge of
CoI.The image of army has been questioned by people, by media and even
the officers within. I want to question ? 1.When the decision was
taken to change NOC for educational institute what EAC was doing? 33
corps comes under him. Was he not aware, he could have stopped the
decision then and there as he was senior most there? 2.His personal
vendetta against Gen Avdesh Prakash saw the whole drama of CoI.Is not
this the main motive. 3.The land is of state govt. the wrongful gain
clause of act is more apt for Avdesh Prakash offences under sec 52(f)
of the Army Act,1950,who shot the gun on Gen Rath's and his officers
shoulder.Showing his seniority, position , even ranking them seniority
wise would show each ones power including COAS?
Gen Kapoor should answer
By: Shikha | Tuesday , 12 Jan '10 12:23:51 PM
The irony is that how could the army cheif let off Lt Gen Avadesh
Prakash with just administrative action when it is such a severe
offence. Sadly the truth is that officers like Gen Deepak Kapoor
impart punishments not on the severity of the offence but on personal
gains... whereas officers have been court martialed on small offences
one sees people like Lt Gen Avadesh Prakash being let off when they
are clearly guilty. Why does Gen Kapoor have different set of rules.
There is definately some truth that is being hidden and maybe the
roots are much deeper than what is being seen on the surface and henve
Gen Kapoor is protecting the offender. Maybe he was scared that he
might be named in the GCM (court martial). Whatever the truth is I
shall reserve my comments and would not like to say anything in a
premature fashion but what Gen Deepak Kapoor has done by making
exceptions is something that he needs to be questioned on and has to
be held accountable for.
Clean way to rinse hands
By: Aarti | Tuesday , 12 Jan '10 14:33:07 PM
Gen Deepak Kapoor would not like to be dragged into all this by giving
smmary termination of services of the accused Lt Gen.. he was the one
who met MaharajaGAj singh of Jodhpur who is patron of MAyo School to
endorse the same Chain of institutions "Geetanjali Trust" which was
declined by Maharaja, also Mrs Deepak Kapoor finds her name as a Board
of Trustees on the same educational Trust's brochure as Lt Gen Avdhesh
finds as Director.. So the scam gets even murkier with Gen himself
involved into this and brotherhood is held upright by him by letting
go the officer lightly.. because it would be really embarassing for
India to see Army Chief questioned and be sent back home just before
the completion of his tenure in March 2010..
Honest Army is must
By: BC Jinnah | Tuesday , 12 Jan '10 11:59:57 AM
A totally honest Army, Navy and Air Force are vital for our India and
its defence. Gen Kapoor must purge and punish the officers who acted
dishonestly, keeping in mind that the Army may one day to run this
country to rid of corrupt politicians and save the country from
falling apart.
Army Chief powers over the senior officers
By: Brig(Retd) A K Joshi | Tuesday , 12 Jan '10 11:54:54 AM
There is no doubt that the Chief of the Army Staff is empowered to
issue a show cause action before awarding his censure.But the question
arises is the offence so trival for disposal by award of his censure?
As reported in the press, it appears that they had tried to cause
illegal gain to a builder and hence can be said they were primafacie
answerable of offences under sec 52(f)of the Army Act,1950 in which
case there is an embargo on disposal by award of censure. Be that as
it may,any censure given by the COAS to his Military Secretary will
have no effect on him as he(MS)is retiring on 31 Jan and the censure
be erased. But another option is that let the censure be given by the
Central Govt and that will remain in the dossier of the officer
permanently. Again, the question arises is the ends of justice met? I
think let the Central Govt decide.But the COAS by issuing the show
cause notice has foreclosed the option available to the Govt to decide
the course of action.
There should be some course to prevent miscarriage of justice.
By: Aarti | Tuesday , 12 Jan '10 14:42:01 PM
With all due respect to you and your seniority in service matters.. i
would like to ask you the very question which every INdian seem to
carry in their minds.. is it so easy to foreclose the options for MoD
and reverse the decision given by the Chief.. after all Chief is not
above the Nation and security lapse in forces..What is there to say
when Mrs Deepak Kapoor also finds her mention on the same brochure as
a BOard of Trustees and who will question Gen Deepak Kapoor for having
met with Maharaja Gaj Singh to get the Educational Trust endorsed with
the accused Lt Gen Avdhesh.. to which , when asked n CoI, he oferred
memory lapse regarding the name of person who went along with him to
meet Maharaja. So, is there not any way which hel Chief answerable to
his actions and accountable to let go officer so lightly where
officers are sacked for trivial issues inArmy.. is it not a matter
enough to be considered serious for him.. or he is just trying to
complete his tenure peacefully by diverting procedure and go to home
peacefully after March 2010.
Curbing corruption in Indan Army
By: Dr. Ram Chander Sharma | Tuesday , 12 Jan '10 11:19:05 AM
The court of inquiry into the Sukhna land scam and the further
initiation of action against the top officers of Indian Army will
definitly a moral booster for the honests. There were for the long
time blemished reports in the Indian defence circles in the
procurement of arms purchases and food, clothings and other
essentntials purchased by the Indian Army. A transparent and
corruption free Defence Ministry and Indian Army will go a long way in
fighing in internal and external enemy threats in the era in
internationl terrorism siot sunderbani.
What happened to 70 acres?
By: arun lal | Tuesday , 12 Jan '10 11:08:34 AM
Did the army get the land back? Was the "bribor" punished?
...and I am Sid Harth
chhotemianinshallah
STAFF WRITER 15:27 HRS IST
New Delhi, Jan 13 (PTI) A senior General, against whom the Army has
initiated administrative action for his role in the Darjeeling land
scam, has proceeded on week-long leave.
"Lt Gen Prakash has taken leave for a week beginning yesterday,"
senior Army officers said here amidst speculation that he was asked to
proceed on leave by Army chief General Deepak Kapoor.
Prakash, who is set to retire on January 31, found himself in the dock
after an Army probe found him culpable in the land scam in Darjeeling,
where a no-objection certificate (NOC) was issued to a private realtor
to buy a 70 acres of civilian land adjacent to the Sukna military
station.
The NOC became an issue after the Army found out that the private
realtor, Dalip Aggarwal, had "falsely claimed" to have started work on
setting up an institution affiliated to Ajmer-based Mayo College.
http://www.ptinews.com/news/466220_Indicted-Lt-Gen-Prakash-proceeds-on-leave
bademiyansubhanallah
Koda No 2? State deputy CM accused of scam
Bhupendra Chaubey / CNN-IBN
Published on Wed, Jan 13, 2010 at 20:41,
Updated on Wed, Jan 13, 2010 at 21:07 in Politics section
UNDER SCANNER: BJP MLA Raghubar Das (L) takes oath as Jharkhand's
Deputy CM from Governor K Sankaranarayanan.
New Delhi: Jharkhand's Deputy Chief Minister Raghubar Das has been
accused of colluding with and rewarding favours to a private firm in
the latest scam to hit the state.
A report prepared by a high powered committee set up by Jharkhand
Assembly has indicted Das.
Following the indictment the troublesome past seems to be catching up
with Das.
The alleged scam dates back to 2005, when Das was the urban
development minister in Arjun Munda-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)
government.
Under him, a contract worth Rs 200 crore was awarded to a Singapore-
based firm, Meinhardt for building and managing the sewage drainage
system of entire Ranchi city.
The conditions laid down for bidding for contract were spelt out
clearly. One of the conditions was that the firm must have declared
profits for three consecutive years starting from 2002 to 2005.
However, as documents show Meinhardt never disclosed the returns from
2004 to 2005.
Amongst the four firms who were bidding for the contract, Meinhardt
was not the only company violating the laid down norms. Another firm,
Barchill Partners Pvt Ltd also did not disclose returns for the last
year.
On the same grounds while Barchill was thrown out, Meinhardt was not
only retained but also awarded the highest ranking.
The controversy had kicked up a huge political row even at the time of
awarding the contract.
In his defence Das accused the special committee of going beyond its
jurisdiction in questioning his decision.
He even asked members not to disclose findings of key meetings that
had been chaired by him
Rather interestingly, when the BJP was in power in Jharkhand in 2005,
a technical committee had given a clean chit to the deal and to Das.
But when the BJP lost the government in the state, a separate
committee was formed which completely overruled the earlier clean
chit.
"How can you say that I am guilty? Do you have the report?" an
agitated Das shot back at reporters in Ranchi.
Congress MLAs say they will raise the issue in the Assembly.
So now Jharkhand is being led by two individuals both of whom are
under the scanner.
Chief Minister Shibu Soren is alleged to have links with Maoists while
his deputy is being accused of being corrupt by his own MLA
colleagues.
http://ibnlive.in.com/news/koda-no-2-state-deputy-cm-accused-of-scam/108664-37.html?from=tn
chhotemianinshallah
STAFF WRITER 19:47 HRS IST
Berhampur (Orissa), Jan 16 (PTI) Alleging irregularities of around Rs
three lakh crore in Orissa mining scam, the BJP today demanded
resignation of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in the case.
"Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had dropped several of his ministers in
connection with alleged corruption. Now he should step down instead of
trying to defend himself in the face of mining scam," BJP state
president Jual Oram said at a meeting of the party workers.
"The chief minister had dropped many ministers to show the public that
his government was corruption free but he is not only sticking to his
chair but also refusing to hand over the mining scam to the CBI for
inquiry," he said.
http://www.ptinews.com/news/471603_BJP-demands-resignation-of-Naveen-Patnaik
Sid Harth
Updated on Thursday, January 21, 2010, 18:52 IST
New Delhi: Defence Minister AK Antony on Thursday said his ministry
was closely monitoring the action the Indian Army chief, General
Deepak Kapoor, has taken in the Sukna Cantonment land scam in West
Bengal.
"You know very well the army has started some procedure. He has taken
some action. We are watching that," Antony told reporters here.
Kapoor had submitted his action-taken report to the Defence Ministry
Jan 11.
While Kapoor has suggested the court martial of one of the officers
involved, Lt.Gen. PK Rath, he has only sought "an explanation" from
another officer and his close aide Lt.Gen. Awadesh Prakash, who is due
to retire on Jan 31.
The army's court of inquiry submitted its report on the scam last
December, indicting the two officers for their role in issuing a no-
objection certificate to a private company that falsely claimed to be
establishing an affiliate of the well-known Ajmer-based Mayo College
on a plot adjacent to the Sukna military station in Darjeeling
district.
Prakash is one of the eight Principal Staff Officers (PSOs) at Army
Headquarters who act as advisers to the army chief. As Military
Secretary, he is responsible for the promotions and postings of
officers.
Rath was commander of the Sukna-based 33 Corps when the land scam
occured.
-IANS
http://www.zeenews.com/news597846.html
chhotemianinshallah
Deemed universities scam was long in making
Business Standard / New Delhi January 21, 2010, 0:19 IST
The deemed universities scam is the tip of a humungous iceberg of
corruption in the higher education regulation, accreditation and
financing system. HRD minister Kapil Sibal must be complimented for
appointing a review committee that has brought to light this rot. In
the five years that Arjun Singh lorded over the ministry, with his
acolytes actively engaged in the vetting of applications and granting
of permission, the pre-existing rot in the system had only gone
deeper. Using the veneer of a left-of-centre’ ideology, with helpful
comrades and cheerleaders in the academic world and media hailing him
as a messiah of liberalism and secularism who was repairing the damage
done to education by his Hindutva predecessor, Singh allowed market
forces to run rampant in the higher education system. In the name of
widening access to education, the Congress party allowed the dilution
of the system of accreditation and regulation. The University Grants
Commission, the All India Council for Technical Education and other
such bodies were usurped by a range of vested interests. All of them
stand collectively indicted on this issue and must be purged of the
malcontents that run them.
The corruption in the system became so pervasive and daring, given the
ideological, sectarian, communal and casteist shields used to defend
it, that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was driven to lament the sorry
state of affairs on several occasions. He repeatedly cautioned against
the “quantitative growth” in higher education outpacing “qualitative
growth”, but with little impact on the outcome. India needs more
private investment in education. Indian students spend over $3 billion
every year on tuition fees paid to institutions outside the country.
Clearly, while many students will continue to go abroad for better
opportunities or just the experience, many may prefer to stay home if
they secure access to good and affordable educational opportunities.
In the enthusiasm to punish the guilty, the government should not go
to the other extreme of stifling private sector growth. The last words
on this policy challenge were in fact uttered by the PM when he told
the Harvard Alumni Association in India, in March 2006, that: “Private
initiative can and must supplement public investment, which is vitally
necessary in the sphere of education. However, we must make a
distinction between public investment, public support and governmental
facilitation, on the one hand and over-regulation, on the other hand.
Paradoxically, our educational system faces the conflicting threats of
anarchic growth in quantitative terms and moribund stagnation in
qualitative terms. We need a balance between populism and over-
regulation; between unbridled marketisation and excessive
bureaucratisation.” The deemed universities scam shows that
bureaucratic regulation is no barrier to “unbridled marketisation”.
Identifying and punishing the guilty are the best cure. Now that a
skeleton has tumbled out, the government must flesh out its
personality, and name and shame the guilty.
http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/the-skeletons-tumble-out/383223/
chhotemianinshallah
Press Trust of India / New Delhi January 19, 2010, 14:57 IST
Government today said it has accepted the recommendations of an expert
committee, which has found 44 deemed universities unfit for the status
but left it to the Supreme Court for appropriate course of action
against them.
"The government has accepted the findings of the expert committee
formed to review the functioning of the deemed universities and
submitted its findings to the Supreme Court, which will decide the
course of action to be taken," HRD Minister Kapil Sibal told
reporters.
He said no deemed university has been derecognised so far.
"The Supreme Court will decide the course of action...We will take
care of all the students (of the deemed universities). Not a single
student will be adversely affected. Student of deemed universities
will get a university degree," he said.
An expert committee headed by P N Tandon has reviewed the functioning
of 126 of the 130 deemed universities. It has found 44 deemed
universities unworthy for the status.
Asked whether the unfit 44 deemed universities would be reverted back
to the status of college, he said, "I do not want to preempt what the
Supreme Court will decide."
The matter will come before the Supreme Court on January 25.
"Not a single student's interest will be jeopardised. University
degree will be given to them," he said, allaying any fear among the
students and their parents.
The committee has found the failed deemed universities were being run
as family fiefdoms rather than on academic considerations. The
committee found 44 other such institutes having deficiencies and
suggested that they should be given three years time to rectify. It
found 38 others as up to mark.
The government had set up a task force to suggest measures for
implementing the recommendations of the committee. The task force said
the failed deemed universities would be allowed to go back as
affiliated colleges of their original universities.
Sibal said the government has started the process of reforms in higher
education. Under the reforms, it will create a National Council for
Higher Education as an overarching body which will subsume existing
regulatory institutions like UGC, AICTE, DEC and NCTE.
Under the new regime in higher education, the concept of deemed
university could be abolished.
Sibal outlined the proposed bills for setting up of an accreditation
body and having special tribunals for deciding matters related to
disputes in campuses and having a law to check malpractices in
institutes.
He said the country needs 30,000 to 40,000 more colleges and nearly
1,000 universities to achieve the target of 30 per cent enrolment rate
in higher education by 2030. The present enrolment rate is 12.4 per
cent.
Sibal harped on reforms of education at school level to ensure that
education becomes child centric.
"The reforms will focus on making the education child centric. The
child should be able to study as per his liking. The contents need
change. Children should get high moral value," he said.
Sibal said the exam should test the real talent of the student rather
than testing the memorising abilities.
Sibal said the focus of the universities should be centres of research
rather than affiliating institutions. "Research creates knowledge," he
said.
He said the government wants to introduce a series of vocational
courses at senior secondary level to help students pursue their
courses of choice.
Asked about the exorbitant fees changed by institutes, he said the
government is in the process of expanding the higher education sector
in bag way.
"Certain institute charge high fees because of the gap between demand
and supply. We have started expanding the higher education sector
which will take care of the problem of demand and supply. The
government will set up a funding corporation for providing loans to
needy students," he said.
The results of the reforms will be felt in next three to four years,
Sibal said.
"Never in the history of the country, the focus on education has been
so sharp," he added.
chhotemianinshallah
Press Trust of India / Chennai January 19, 2010, 14:23 IST
Panic gripped students of 17 institutions in Tamil Nadu and
Puducherry, which are set to lose their deemed university status in
the wake of the Centre deciding to de-recognise them.
While students of a deemed university here took to the streets to
protest the decision to de-recognise the institutions, their
managements are planning to move the court.
Most of the deemed universities in the state are owned by politicians,
including the Bharat University, run by the children of Union Minister
of State for Information and Broadcasting S Jagatratshagan.
"We would implead ourselves in the case", Ishari K Ganesh, son of late
Isari Velan, who was a Parliamentary Secretary during late M G
Ramachandran government, and Chancellor of Vel's University, said.
The institutions were neither served any show cause notice nor were
given any time to rectify alleged discrepancies, he said.
"Most of the universities are just about a year old and were given
deemed university status after inspection of facilities and
infrastructure by University Grants Commission panel," he said.
The Centre, in its affidavit in the Supreme Court yesterday, said it
would remove the deemed university tag of 44 educational institutions
across the country.
AIADMK MP, M Thambidurai, patron of St. Peter's Institute of Higher
Education Chennai, refused to comment on the institution figuring in
the blacklist, saying he did not own any college.
Meanwhile, students of Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical
Sciences, near here, damaged computers and boycotted classes, as their
institution figured in the list.
As estimated 50,000 plus students are studying in 16 deemed
universities in Tamil Nadu and one in Puducherry, mostly run by
politicians.
Conveying its decision to de-recognise 44 "deemed universities", in
which two lakh students are studying, the Centre told the apex court
that these were being run as family fiefdoms rather than on academic
considerations.
The affidavit filed by the Union Human Resource Development Ministry,
however, said that to avoid jeopardising the future of students
enrolled in these universities, they would be allowed to go back as
affiliated colleges of their original universities.
The government had filed the affidavit accepting the recommendations
of the high-powered P N Tandon committee and the Special Task Force
set up to suggest measures to tackle the problem.
Sid Harth
STAFF WRITER 19:2 HRS IST
Shimla, Jan 23 (PTI) With the Himachal government under attack from
Congress on CD issue involving Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal, a
senior BJP leader today came in strong defence of the CM and blamed
the opposition party for the controversy.
"This (surfacing of CDs against Dhumal and BJP MP Virendra Kashyap)
appears to be work of Congress leaders to derail the investigation
against its leader and Union Minister Virbhadra Singh in a CD case
released against him in 2007, which is in advance stage now," Jain
told reporters.
The controversial CDs surfaced recently purportedly contain the voice
of Dhumal ordering tapping of Virbhadra Singh's phone and a videotape
allegedly showing a BJP MP accepting bribe.
http://www.ptinews.com/news/482311_BJP-leader-suspects-Congress-role-in-controversial-CDs
Sid Harth
STAFF WRITER 22:4 HRS IST
Rampur, Jan 30 (PTI) The SHO of Rampur Kotwali Dinesh Mohan Khatta was
arrested after being caught accepting bribe in a sting operation.
Khatta was today produced before the district judge, B Lal, who sent
him to 14-day judicial remand.
Superintendent of Police Jyoti Narain said Khatta, who was asked to
give his report on extending a Muslim religious 'Urs', had demanded a
bribe of Rs 50,000 from the organisers Sajjadanasheen Farhat Jamali,
for giving a favourable report.
When Jamali went to give the bribe, he recorded it on a camera, on the
basis of which the police officer was arrested under the anti-
corruption act.
http://www.ptinews.com/news/492911_Rampur-SHO-arrested-for-taking-bribe
bademiyansubhanallah
Agencies
Posted: Friday , Jan 29, 2010 at 2127 hrs
Ranchi:
Eight fodder scam accused were today sentenced up to five years
rigorous imprisonment by a CBI court here.
Special CBI judge Bireshwar Jha Prabir awarded five years RI to ex-
regional director of animal husbandry department K N Singh, ex-budget
and accounts officer B B Prasad and fodder suppliers Mahendra Prasad
and T M Prasad.
The court also slapped fines ranging between Rs 5 lakh and Rs 6.9 lakh
on them.
The eight were convicted by the court yesterday.
Former Accounts officer K N Ram and fodder suppliers S K Sinha and
Sushil Kumar Sinha were ordered four years rigorous imprisonment and
fined between Rs 2.5 lakh and 5.9 lakh.
The court handed out three-and-a-half years RI to another supplier
Arun Kumar Sinha and fined him Rs 1.4 lakh.
The court yesterday had sentenced only one supplier, Anil Kumar to two
and half years of rigorous imprisonment and fined him Rs 40,000 after
finding all the nine guilty of withdrawing Rs 50.37 lakh fraudulently
from Hazaribagh Treasury in the 1990s in the RC 29A/96 case.
All the convicts would get another six months simple imprisonment if
they failed to deposit the fine ammounts.
This was the 35th of the 53 fodder scam cases to have ended in
conviction since the Rs 950 crore scam was unearthed in the 1990s in
undivided Bihar.
Comments (1)
Fodder Scam
By: N. Sridharan | 30-Jan-2010
Was not Lallu Yadav the king pin of the fodder scam? Why punish only
the government officials involved leaving out the politicians, who are
the master minds? Like wise the spectrum scam can also be settled by
jailing a few officials for a few months, while the Minister concerned
(Raja) continues to make schemes for new scams. We are making a
mockery of justice. T R Baalu has made all the money he wants in the
dredging operations of the Sethusamudram project. Tomorrow if some one
has to be hanged it will be some govt officials in the ministry.
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/cbi-court-orders-jail-for-fodder-scam-accused/573114/
chhotemianinshallah
Express news service
Posted: Feb 05, 2010 at 0327 hrs IST
'Unskilled' Haldiram owner to work in ja...Police probing if Dutchman
abused kidsIts Master’s Voice: To let Q walk, CBI e...
Bhopal/Raipur More than Rs 2 crore in cash was seized from an IAS
couple in Bhopal during simultaneous Income Tax raids conducted in
Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh on Thursday.
The haul of over Rs 2 crore was recovered from the official bungalow
of Arvind Joshi and his wife Tinoo Joshi, both principal secretaries,
in Bhopal. While the husband was recently shifted to the Jail and
Parliamentary Proceedings Department after a long stint in the Water
Resources Department, the wife is posted in the Women and Child
Welfare Department.
Arvind surrendered unaccounted investment of about Rs 2.25 crore made
in the name of his mother. The bureaucrats had also invested money in
a pulse mill.
The house of former IAS officer M A Khan, who reportedly escaped after
learning about the raid, was sealed in Bhopal. He was yet to vacate
his official residence.
The houses and other premises of Chief Engineer of Madhya Pradesh Road
Development Corporation Deepak Asai, Executive Engineer Ramprasad
Asai, a branch manager and an agent of a private insurance company
were raided simultaneously. The I-T team also conducted raids at
establishments of a business family.
In Chhattisgarh, I-T sleuths carried out raids at the residences of
senior IAS officer and state Agriculture Secretary Babulal Agrawal,
his kin and a chartered accountant.
http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/Over-Rs-2-crore-seized-from-IAS-couple-in-MP/575973/
Sid Harth
7 Feb 2010, 2130 hrs IST, PTI
BHOPAL: The Income Tax Department, during its four-day-long raids, has
unearthed Rs 7.7-crore cash, jewellery and related wealth documents to
the
tune of worth more than Rs 500-crore allegedly amassed by some persons
including three IAS officers in MP and Chhattisgarh.
"The raids ended today and a total of Rs 7.7-crore (undisclosed money)
was surrendered to us by different persons in Madhya Pradesh and
Chhattisgarh," a top IT official said. A sum of Rs 7.2-crore was
surrendered by different persons in Madhya Pradesh while the rest
amount was surrendered by one person in Chhattisgarh during the raids,
he said.
IT officials were scanning and examining the documents recovered
during the raids which unearthed wealth to the tune of more than Rs
500-crore unlawfully amassed, among others by IAS couple Arvind Joshi,
Tinu Joshi - both principal secretary ranked officers in Madhya
Pradesh - and Chhattisgarh Agriculture Secretary B L Agarwal, sources
said.
During the raids at the residence of Joshi couple here, cash of Rs 3.4-
crore, jewellery, foreign currency and documents related to wealth,
other things were recovered. Similarly illegal property, cash,
jewellery and documents pertaining to huge wealth of more than Rs 300-
crore was unearthed during the raids at Agrawal and his associates'
residences at Raipur in Chhattisgarh, an IT source said.
I-T raids reveal problems in corporate governance
30 Oct 2009, 0157 hrs IST, Apurv Gupta & M Padmakshan, ET Bureau
MUMBAI: In the past three months, the income-tax department has
conducted raids and searches at over a dozen listed companies. In some
cases, media reports quoting unnamed I-T officials have referred to
recovery of unaccounted income or assets, raising questions about
compliance of corporate governance norms by some of these publicly-
traded entities.
While some companies have disputed the claims of I-T officials that
undisclosed money had been found, others have chosen not to comment.
Firms which have come under the I-T department’s scanner include real
estate major HDIL, shipping major ABG Shipyard, Supreme
Infrastructure, Temptation Foods, Bombay Rayon, J Kumar Infra, Radhe
Developers and the IPO-bound Polycab Wires, according to media reports
and stock exchange filings.
According to people closely connected with the developments, several
other Mumbai and Ahmedabad based infrastructure, logistics and textile
companies have also been searched in recent months by the I-T
department.
While the exact amount that was recovered is not known, according to I-
T officials money detected, on which tax has not been paid, has
totalled over Rs 1,000 crore in just three months. "This is a big
corporate governance issue and implies a direct loss to investors,"
says Hinesh Doshi, vice-president, of the Investors’ Grievances Forum,
a SEBI registered association that typically takes up issues
concerning investor interests.
"Why is there large amounts of unaccounted income or undisclosed
assets with these companies? I think regulatory authorities should
investigate the matter, or confidence of investors will be affected,"
he added.
Mr Doshi adds that despite news reports of raids on companies, some of
them do not clarify their position to exchanges. This is despite the
fact that according to listing agreements, companies have to report
"material developments". BSE said that it would not like to comment
while NSE did not respond to an e-mail query.
Consider the case of Austral Coke. It has so far not made any official
statement to the exchange on the raids conducted by the I-T department
and subsequent charges faced by the company from the market
regulator.
While companies from the real estate sector have largely been the
focus of such searches by the department, firms from other areas have
also come under the scanner for allegedly not paying tax. Some
companies disputed the claims of I-T officials that undisclosed money
had been found.
Shipping major ABG Shipyard, while confirming that search operations
had taken place, told the exchanges that it has complied with income-
tax laws and that authorities have not raised any claims against the
company after the search operations.
"The issue has two sides to it. In case any unaccounted money or
assets are found in an action against a listed company, it is just not
an issue of tax evasion, but also of misappropriation of the assets
belonging to the shareholders," says Vinod Ambavat, a partner with
professional advisory firm Jain Ambavat & Associates.
In another instance, tiles company Nitco said the Directorate of
Revenue Intelligence had searched the premises of Nitco with respect
to investigation of Customs duty payable on import of marble blocks.
It had detained goods worth Rs 9.7 crore for verification, for which
the bill of entry had already been filed. A senior official at Supreme
Infrastructure said the search was due to some difference of opinion
on some issues related to expenses.
The matter is still pending with the department. However, the company
has paid all the legitimate taxes for financial year 2009, the
official said.
HDIL, the real estate company, told the stock exchanges that I-T
department had conducted a raid on office premises and the residences
of its promoters. After the raid, HDIL agreed to offer approximately
Rs 350 crore as income to be booked in remaining quarters of financial
year 2009-10.
The income of Rs 350 crore as calculated by I-T department are based
on initial entries in books of accounts mostly relating to the current
financial year, which the company would have booked during the current
financial year on completion of transaction and taxes paid as per
provisions of I-T Act, HDIL said.
Under the provisions of the Income-Tax Act, income unearthed during a
raid attracts interest and penalty up to 300% of the amount. The law
also provides the taxpayer the right to appeal before the first
appellate authority (Commissioner Appeal), against the demand by the I-
T department.
While the I-T department spokesperson declined to comment on the same,
sources in the I-T department said the department wants to crack on
big tax evaders so as to meet their targets. "There is a clear dictum
to catch big fish if the department wants to meet the collection
targets. There is pressure at every level," says a Mumbai based I-T
official.
Earlier this year, ET had reported how IT department faced with
worrying situation of shrinking collections was gearing up for some
high-profile raids to send out a clear message.
I-T raids Anand Jain’s premises
6 Mar 2009, 0123 hrs IST, ET Bureau
MUMBAI: The Income-Tax department on Thursday raided a number of
offices as well as residential premises of Anand Jain, chairman of Jai
Corp, and a close associate of Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh
Ambani.
The I-T department confirmed the raid, but refused to divulge further
details. A source in the department, on condition of anonymity, said
the tax sleuths were investigating some real estate deals carried out
by the company, especially land transactions.
When contacted, Mr Jain said the I-T officials visited some of his
premises to verify certain information. He did not elaborate. An I-T
department source said the raids were conducted on the basis of
information that the company had not reported the ‘real value’ of some
transactions to the department. The I-T department is also probing
allegations that part payments in land deals were made in cash, the
source added. These payments were allegedly made to farmers by
entities believed to be connected to Mr Jain for purchase of land for
SEZ projects.
The I-T officials have recovered bills which, according to the source,
are “bogus and created for the purpose of generating cash for making
payments on land deals”. The purpose of the investigation is to trace
the ‘origin’ of what I-T officials describe as the “cash flow”.
ET has been unable to independently verify any of these allegations.
No I-T official was willing to speak on record.
Over 80 tax officials were deployed at eight premises, including
various offices and residence of Mr Jain. The I-T department had also
conducted a survey (a diluted version of raid largely confined to
examination of papers) last year on the business premises of Mr Jain.
The raid affected the company’s share price, which dropped 4.94% on
Thursday to close at Rs 74.15, the lower circuit.
Mr Jain was featured in the Forbes magazine’s 2007 list of 40 richest
billionaires from India. He is chairman of Navi Mumbai SEZ, Mumbai
SEZ, Reliance Haryana SEZ and Urban Infrastructure Venture Capital.
The venture capital firm had raised $500 million for investing in real
estate sector.
Mr Jain’s Urban Infrastructure Opportunities Fund had raised Rs 3,200
crore from some 750 retail and institutional investors, according to
Jai Corp’s website. This fund was scrutinised by the I-T department
last year.
Notice must if block I-T returns rejected: SC
4 Feb 2010, 0559 hrs IST, Sanjay K Singh, ET Bureau
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court has ruled that it is mandatory for the
Income Tax Department to issue notice within the prescribed time limit
of one year where the assessing officer in repudiation of the block
return filed by the assessee proceeds for an inquiry.
“If an assessment is to be completed under section 143(3)read with
section 158-BC (Income Tax Act), notice under section 143(2) should be
issued within one year from the date of filing of block return.
Omission on the part of the assessing authority to issue notice under
section 143(2) cannot be a procedural irregularity and the same is not
curable and, therefore, the requirement of notice under section 143(2)
cannot be dispensed with”, said a bench comprising Justice SH Kapadia
and Justice HL Dattu.
The Income Tax Appellate Tribunal while affirming the decision of the
CIT(A) had said non-issue of notice under section 143(2) of the act is
only a procedural irregularity and curable. It was overturned by the
Guwahati high court.
Against it, the revenue department had filed six appeals in the apex
court. The department had maintained that since the provisions
incorporated in the Chapter XIV B (related to block assessment)
constitute a special code to assess the undisclosed income in search
cases, they would override the provisions of Chapter XIV, the
procedure for normal assessments. Rejecting the plea of department,
the apex court said: “Had the intention of the legislature was to
exclude the provisions of Chapter XIV of the act, the legislature
would have or could have indicated that also”.
Sid Harth
11 Sep 2009, 0023 hrs IST, M Padmakshan & Sachin Dave, ET Bureau
MUMBAI: The Income-tax department on Thursday raided 12 premises of
HDIL, a Mumbai-based real estate developer, and questioned HDIL on
three issues.
According to an I-T source, one of the questions raised was in
connection with claims made under Sections 80 IB (10)(c) of the I-T
Act, a provision that allows tax benefits to a developer of
residential apartments with an area of 1,000 sq ft or less. This is
the second instance that HDIL’s premises have been raided by the I-T
officials; the earlier raid was in 2007.
The second allegation pertains to the diversion of funds from the
company, while the third relates to HDIL’s transaction with IL&FS.
HDIL recently acquired 53 acres from IL&FS for Rs 1,900 crore. Hari
Prakash Pandey, CFO, HDIL, who was in New York, said: “I am not aware
of any such (the three points raised by the I-T officials) thing.
I did talk to HDIL officials in Mumbai and they did not mention
anything of that sort to us, I do not think that the ground for
investigation relates to these areas.” HDIL officials were questioned
under Section 80 IB (10)(c), which refers to the “deduction in respect
of profits and gains from certain industrial undertakings other than
infrastructure development undertakings.”
Under this section, a developer gets some I-T deductions on
residential apartments that have a maximum area of 1,000 sq ft in
Mumbai and New Delhi and less than 1,500 sq ft for other cities. The I-
T department believes that HDIL sold bigger apartments and still
managed to get deduction under this section.
Elaborating on the issue, an I-T official said: “HDIL allegedly sold
2,000 sq ft apartments, but showed them as two 1,000 sq ft apartments
and took the deduction on profit. As a result, they are not paying
income tax that they were supposed to pay.” HDIL has denied this
allegation.
I-T officials, under the provisions of the I-T Act, are not obliged to
convey to the investigated party any specific reason for conducting a
raid. Any I-T raid requires prior approval of the director
(investigation) and the director general (investigation). The HDIL
stock fell 3.85% or Rs 12.35 on Thursday to close at Rs 308.
I-T officials, on Thursday, also surveyed Dewan Housing Finance
Corporation (DHFL), a company owned by Kapil Wadhawan, though no raids
were conducted. Mr Wadhawan, till recently, was on the board of HDIL.
Both HDIL and DHFL are a part of the Wadhawan group.
I-T raid: Chhattisgarh IAS officer has 220 bank accounts
7 Feb 2010, 0512 hrs IST, AGENCIES
RAIPUR: Chhattisgarh agriculture secretary B L Agrawal has been found
to have a staggering 220 bank accounts and assets worth millions. This
was revealed after the income tax department raided his residence
here, sources said on Saturday.
The I-T department raided the houses of some IAS officers and
businessmen in Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh over the past two days.
Chhattisgarh’s BJP government is waiting for a final report from the I-
T department about Agrawal’s assets to initiate action against him.
I-T officials searched the residence of Agrawal as well as business
establishments of his close relatives on Thursday. On Friday, they
raided his chartered account Sunil Agrawal’s house and came across
documents suggesting that the IAS officer had amassed assets
disproportionate to his known sources of income.
The officer had at least 220 bank accounts, several of them opened on
fake names and addresses, and a few in the names of his domestics.
Efforts to contact Agrawal failed. A man who answered his mobile
telephone said Agrawal was “busy in a meeting”.
Sources in the income tax department said they were analysing the
documents and papers seized. Some documents suggest he might be
involved in hawala transactions, the sources said.
Meanwhile, foreign currencies worth Rs 7 lakh have been recovered from
the house of senior IAS couple Arvind and Tinu Joshi who were
suspended after Rs 3 crore was found from their house in an I-T
swoopdown. The currencies include $12,391, £1,790 and € 1,050.
Imported liquor bottles were also recovered during simultaneous raids
here at 13 places, including the residence of Joshi’s father and
retired DGP H M Joshi from where Rs 1.99 lakh was recovered.
Koda man tries to buy RS seat
16 Nov 2009, 2147 hrs IST, Ashok K Mishra, ET Bureau
PATNA: Manoj Punamiya, the Mumbai based hawala dealer who acted as a
front man for the former chief minister of Jharkhand Madhu Koda in the
multi-crore money laundering scam, had even set his eyes on the Rajya
Sabha for which he even paid Rs 2 crore to a middleman claiming close
links with the top congress leadership.
Punamia has himself made this disclosure in a letter written to the
Delhi Police commissioner informing him about how he was duped by one
M S Khan who had promised him nomination in the Rajya Sabha with the
help of two top notch leaders of the congress party.
Punamiya who has already been quizzed by the Income Tax and
Enforcement Directorate (ED) sleuths for diverting the ill gotten
money of Koda and company to abroad by hawala route had written the
letter to the Delhi police commissioner on 15 September, 2009.
The letter he wrote could be seen as a clever move on the part of
Punamiya and those involved in the scam to scuttle the IT raids which
in any case started happening from 31 October, 2009. The reference of
the congress leaders in the letter was a conscious ploy to derail our
investigation against koda and company. But it boomeranged on them
said a source in the ED.
Even before the nationwide IT raids were launched on the residential
and other locations of Koda and his associates, things were becoming
increasingly clear that the IT and ED would initiate action against
them. In fact, the IT officials were working on the Koda scam case for
nearly one year and those involved in the scam were aware of the
developments. More significantly, a PIL was filed by one Lakshman
Oraon in the Jharkhand High court sometime in August, 2008 seeking a
probe into the koda mining scam.
So when things were increasingly getting tough for Koda and those
involved in the hawala transactions, Punamia s letter could possibly
be part of their well thought out design to preempt the IT s action
against them. Those involved in the scam may have thought that the
inclusion of names of the congress leaders in the letter may scare the
UPA government and would restraint the IT and ED from initiating any
action in the illegal hawala transactions of Koda and associates. But
nothing of this kind happened admitted an ED official.
In the letter written to the Delhi Police Commissioner, Punamiya has
given a detail account of he was cheated by one M S Khan who was
introduced to him by one Ajai Tiwari, a resident of Ghaziabad.
Khan assured me that he would get him nominated to Rajya with the help
of. On one occasion he even got me engaged in a telephonic conversion
with a person claiming to be a congress leader giving me assurance
that a sum of Rs 10 core will have to be paid to get the job done. I
even paid Rs 1 crore to Ajay Tiwari 1 September, 2009 who later passed
on the amount to Khan at Lalit Hotel, New Delhi. Thereafter, 1 croe
was again paid to Mr Khan at the hotel parking area of the Claridges
Hotel, New Delhi he has written in he letter.
ED raids offices of Emaar MGF over FEMA violation
4 Dec 2009, 0048 hrs IST, ET Bureau
NEW DELHI: The Enforcement Directorate on Thursday raided the offices
of realty major Emaar MGF in and around Delhi for alleged violation of
foreign exchange rules.
Official sources said ten offices of Emaar MGF had been raided in
Delhi and Noida in connection with violation of Fema (Foreign Exchange
Management Act) regulations and diverting money from abroad to buy
agricultural land. They said a team of ED investigators are
scrutinising documents and foreign transaction details during the
searches.
The realty major said that it had fully co-operated with the
investigations. “There was a routine search operation by Enforcement
Directorate at some of our premises in Delhi today. We have fully co-
operated with the investigation. Most importantly, as inaccurately
reported in some media, the investigation has no link to Madhu Koda’s
arrest. News related to this is meritless and frivolous. The public is
requested to kindly ignore rumours and baseless news,” said an
official statement from Emaar-MGF.
After HDIL, I-T dept now raids Polycab Wires' offices
17 Sep 2009, 0003 hrs IST, MV Ramsurya & M Padmakshan, ET Bureau
MUMBAI: The Income Tax department has raided the offices of Mumbai-
based cable company Polycab Wires - a market leader in cable
manufacturing - in a swift operation that started late Tuesday and
continued till Wednesday afternoon. The country-wide raids were
conducted on grounds of alleged evasion of excise duty and taxes by
Polycab, which has annual sales of more than Rs 2,800 crore, according
to people privy to the knowledge.
The I-T department is learnt to have unearthed unreported income of
more than Rs 100 crore, while it is widely-believed that the final
figures may be much higher. The officials are currently examining
documents seized from the premises of the company.
Polycab Wires didn’t respond to queries from ET. An email query sent
to Polycab also remained unanswered.
This is the second time in less than a week that the I-T department
has raided a high-profile Mumbai-based company. Last week, the
department carried out a raid on the residential and official premises
of real estate company HDIL on grounds of uncounted income, which
totalled more than Rs 350 crore. The raid on HDIL saw the deployment
of over 100 officials, in what was described as one of the largest
such raids in recent times.
The raids on Polycab were conducted after excise and tax department
officials followed a tip off related to expenses at the cable
manufacturer that were deliberately inflated, for recording reduced
profit. It is also learnt that the department officials are looking at
the possibility of the company misrepresenting its revenue figures to
pay less taxes.
Under the provisions of the Income-Tax Act, income unearthed during a
raid attracts interest and penalty up to 300% of the amount. The law
also provides the tax payer the right to appeal before the first
appellate authority (Commissioner Appeal), against the demand by the I-
T department.
Polycab has eight offices in Baroda (Gujarat), Delhi, Bangalore
(Karnataka), Chennai (Tamil Nadu), Mumbai and Pune (Maharashtra),
Secunderabad (Andhra Pradesh) and Kolkata (West Bengal). It has 10
plants and employs 1,500 people.
Polycab is a market leader in the over Rs 10,000-crore organised
household cable market with a share of more than 18%.
The Indian cable market annually sees a growth of over 25% in sales
due to demand from newly-constructed houses and from repairs to
existing houses. The cables market is also highly unregulated with the
unorganised market size being more than double the organised market
size, said an industry executive. “Also with most sales being to
retail households, they are not recorded and hence there are no
accounts for a major part of the revenue,” the executive added.
Polycab had last year approached the International Finance Corporation
to finance a capacity expansion plan.
In February, Polycab had signed an agreement with France-based Nexans
to form a joint venture for manufacturing specialty cables such as
elastometric and extra-high voltage cables. The joint venture would
have entailed an investment of Rs 150 crore.
The JV would have been based in Mumbai, and would manufacture cables
for shipbuilding, material handling, railways and wind power
industries.
These future plans of the company were expected to double the existing
revenues of the company. The plans included a greenfield facility in
Daman and a plant in Gujarat to make power energy cables.
Sid Harth
21 Nov 2009, 1122 hrs IST, TNN
BANGALORE: Income-Tax sleuths raided three business houses in
Bangalore on Friday morning — two hotel groups, and a hatchery-and-
real estate business.
These are MRG Group of Hotels, which owns Gold Finch hotel, Nandhini
Deluxe Group and Golden Hatcheries Group, which is into hatcheries and
real estate business.
The raids began around 7 am and were conducted simultaneously on 20
premises. Along with the group promoters , some people who had
invested in these businesses were also raided . Congress leader from
Byatarayanapura N Chakrapani’s house was also raided for his
investments in one of these groups, officials of the Income Tax
department said.
The raids continued till late into the evening, where officials
examined various documents pertaining to investments and estimated the
value of assets of the raided persons.
“We’ll begin compiling details and it will take a day or two to get
complete details on I-T evasion, if any,’’ said a senior official.
THE RAIDED
MRG group chairman and managing director K Prakash Shetty owns both
Gold Finch and Banjara Restaurant Group. He’s been in the hotel
business for the past 10 years and the recent blockbuster ‘Mungaru
Male’ was shot in his Sakaleshpur house Nandhini Deluxe Group is owned
by N Anand, who originally started the Nandhini chain of restaurants
with a partner.
After the partners parted ways, Anand headed the Nandini Deluxe Group,
while his partner floated the Nandhini Palace Group. Kamal Pasha is
the proprieter of Golden Hatcheries and also has a vast real estate
business N Chakrapani, who recently crossed over to the Congress from
JD(S), not a prime target of I-T sleuths, but they found his
investments in one of the groups.
bademiyansubhanallah
BS Reporter / New Delhi February 09, 2010, 0:48 IST
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Nitin Gadkari today alleged
that soaring food inflation reflected manipulation in commodity
exchanges and a failure of the government’s oversight over these
exchanges.
While conceding that forward trading in many commodities had been
banned, he said the past year’s record of trading in some commodities
suggested transactions were 99 per cent speculation and less than 1
per cent delivery.
Gadkari said the ministries of agriculture, commerce, food and
consumer affairs, and finance were responsible for the rising prices
of commodities. He also demanded permanent de-listing of essential
food/agriculture commodities from the forward trading list.
He said the prices of wheat, sugar, rice and dal had doubled in the
past few months. That was wide variation between general inflation and
food inflation — for instance, while general inflation grew from 1 per
cent to 8 per cent, the food price index went up from 12 per cent to
20 per cent.
As a result, while consumers were paying three times more than the
price paid to the farmers, the profits of commodity companies had gone
up by 500 per cent to 2,900 per cent in the last quarter (October-
December) of 2009.
Gadkari said while wheat production was up from 75.8 million tonnes
(mt) in 2006-07 to 80.5 mt in 2008-09, the farmer got Rs 10 per kg,
while the consumer was paying Rs 24 a kg. The BJP president said no
forward trading was permitted in wheat till May 2009, when the ban on
trading of wheat futures was lifted.
He claimed that between May and December 2009, of a turnover of 1.4 mt
at the commodity exchanges, the actual delivery was just 1,400 tonnes.
This suggested 99.99 per cent speculative trading during the period.
Wheat, however, has a weight of just 1.38 per cent in the Wholesale
Price Index (WPI), diluting Gadkari’s argument that speculation in
wheat had pushed the index up, leading to a rise on food inflation.
Gadkari said the government should take action not just against
hoarders but also oversee the function of the commodities exchanges.
Gadkari blames it on speculative activity
Special Correspondent
NEW DELHI: The government’s faulty policy that was failing to take
note of the unprecedented spurt in prices of essential food items had
led to a situation in which a majority of the population was unable to
buy enough to eat, even as black marketers, hoarders, multi-nationals
and corporate houses made huge profits, Bharatiya Janata Party
president Nitin Gadkari said on Monday.
Mr. Gadkari outlined the party’s decision to stage an agitation on
this issue in and outside Parliament and take whatever help was
necessary from the other Opposition parties to corner the government
in the Budget session. While the party’s programme, including a march
to Parliament, was announced, its parliamentary strategy would be
worked out by Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Sushma
Swaraj, he said.
Mr. Gadkari presented an array of facts and figures from official
sources to make out the case that it was not the farmers who
benefitted from the high prices of wheat, rice, sugar and pulses. He
demolished the government argument that higher minimum support price
for major agricultural produce, including sugarcane, had led to the
higher prices. “Inferior red wheat was imported at Rs. 19 a kg, while
farmers were given Rs. 9.50 a kg for better quality wheat,” he said.
The consumer was often paying three times the price paid to farmers,
with the middlemen making the bulk of the profit.
Since 78 per cent of the population spend most of its monthly income
on food, their capacity to buy enough to eat had weakened
considerably, and this would have a long-term impact on health and
nutrition, he said.
Mr. Gadkari’s view was that speculative activity, covering up to 99
per cent of the total produce of some items at the commodity
exchanges, led to this state of affairs. Through graphs and charts, he
tried to establish the direct co-relation between speculation and
higher price.
One key demand made by the BJP was the removal of all food items from
commodity exchange forward trading.
Buffer stocks
He said the United Progressive Alliance government was unable to build
adequate buffer stocks even when there was good domestic production.
Instead of building up stocks, it earlier allowed sugar export.
“Maharashtra alone has the capacity to store 50 lakh tonnes of
sugar.”
http://www.hindu.com/2010/02/09/stories/2010020959631000.htm
BJP woos parties against government on price rise platform
Monday, 08.02.2010, 05:44pm (GMT+5.5)
New Delhi, Feb 8 (IANS) Ahead of the budget session, the Bharatiya
Janata Party (BJP) Monday said it will launch a nationwide stir and
get opposition parties, including the Left, on board to corner the
government for its "wrong" economic policies triggering food prices
skyrocketing.
"We will launch a nationwide protest against the government which has
failed to check price rise," BJP president Nitin Gadkari told
reporters here.
Gadkari said Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj is
trying to get the opposition parties on board, adding: "We will invite
all parties, including the Left and Lalu (Prasad's Rashtriya Janata
Dal) who are protesting against rising prices."
The government, he contended, "is not competent enough to handle
economic matters", adding: "They have wrong economic policies. It is a
collective failure of the government."
"I also invite UPA (United Progressive Alliance) parties who are
opposed to the government's economic policies to join us," Gadkari
said.
The budget session of parliament will begin Feb 22.
The BJP president said the main reason behind food inflation was that
"commodity exchanges are manipulated to jack up food prices".
"The records of last year's transaction on forward exchanges in
essential commodities clearly establish that it is 99 percent
speculation and less than one percent deliveries. These exchanges are
used for manipulation," he said.
The BJP also demanded permanent delisting of essential food-
agriculture commodities from forward trading list.
http://www.indiavision.com/news/article/politics/24038/