CBI SP Vivek Dutt Being Framed?

     As per news agency report an officer of the CBI Mr Vivek Dutt, has been arrested along with another inspector for ‘ taking bribe of Rs 7 lakh for settling a land dispute’ . The CBI has sought the removal of the officer from the extremely sensitive Coal Gate case that he is investigating.

      The officer has denied the charge, and his counsel has told the court ‘ that his client is being targeted and nothing has been recovered from his possession by the agency.

    “He is investigating an important case under the supervision of the Supreme Court and somebody wants him not to be the part of the probe team… This is simply a device to divert the attention that the investigation in the coal scam is vitiated and the officer is corrupt,”

      The history of the Coalgate report and the actions to change it clearly point the needle of suspicion to the Prime Minister himself . The highly sensitive case case has already claimed the the Law minister Ashwini Kumar , Additional Solicitor General Harin P. Raval , and thrown up a great deal of muck.

      Improper actions of the Attorney General G E Vanahvati , Babus from the PM’s secretariat and coal ministry and the arrogance and total disregard for norms of the govt in interfering with the report has left all right thinking Indians shocked. The abject condition of the ‘premiere investigating agency’ was an open secret all along, and so its abysmal self debasing conduct and tattered reputation is no surprise to anyone..

     What however is intriguing is the timing of the arrest of its senior officer Mr Dutt by the CBI and the rush to the Supreme Court to remove Mr Dutt from the Coal Gate investigations.

      The following scenarios come to mind.

                • The officer took a bribe to settle a case and the CBI has taken correct action.
   

• The officer has been taking bribes earlier also , but the CBI found his                           report on the Coalgate unhelpful to the government and wanted him shunted out. Since the Supreme court had prohibited the govt from interfering with the investigating officers this was the only option available ; to tarnish his reputation, and remove him.
     

         • The officer has impeachable integrity, so a case has been cooked up to tarnish his reputation and remove him.

     In the sorry state of affairs that exists today, official actions and statements are liable to be doubted at every step. The fact that the governments of the day have been known to foist cases on innocent persons and tarnish their reputation is well known.

      Vineet Narain who broke the Hawala Case, was hounded for years, Tehelka ‘s Editor and staff have faced innumerable raids and harassment, Officers like Khemka of Haryana and a host of others who have disclosed the ill gotten wealth of politicians have had to pay heavily for their sincerity and devotion to probity.

       So is it not possible that Mr Vivek Dutt is being framed?

    ED:
Extracts from News reports

       CBI to move SC to seek removal of officer arrested for bribery

Zee Media Bureau

New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Monday will move the Supreme Court to seek the removal of the officer who was arrested on Friday while taking a bribe of Rs 7 lakh for settling down a land dispute.

Superintendent of Police Vivek Dutt, along with Inspector Rajesh Karnatak and two others, was arrested by the internal vigilance unit of the CBI from Lodhi Colony area in south Delhi. Notably, Dutt was said to be an investigating officer in the coal scam.

“Dutt was taking bribe of Rs 7 lakh for settling down a land dispute related to the Delhi Police. He was accompanied by the inspector,” an agency official told a news agency.

“We had information about the dealing and we continued to maintain surveillance on them. After monitoring them for pretty long, today (Friday) they were arrested for taking the bribe”, CBI director Ranjit Sinha said.

Sinha further said that the CBI would apprise the apex court of the developments since the SC had ruled that no official associated with the investigation into the coal

CBI’s coalgate investigator arrested for taking bribe

In another embarrassment to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), two of its officers – Superintendent of Police Vivek Dutt, also the investigating officer in the coal block allocation scam, and Inspector Rajesh Karnatak – were arrested on Friday for accepting a bribe of Rs 7 lakh from a person. CBI’s internal vigilance department did the arrests. Sources said Dutt was trying to use his influence to help a person settle a case in connection with a land dispute.

CBI is under the scanner of the Supreme Court for sharing its coal allocation probe report with the former law minister, Ashwani Kumar, and two joint secretary-level officers, of the coal ministry and the prime minister’s office. The Supreme Court had rapped the CBI for being a “caged parrot speaking in its master’s voice.”

The latest development comes after the formation of a Group of Ministers to prepare a draft law to insulate CBI from external influence.
scam would be transferred without informing it.
Further investigations are on.

First Published: Saturday, May 18, 2013, 10:50

Arrested coalgate probe head alleges plot against him

    CBI SP Vivek Dutt, Inspector Rajesh Chandra Karnatak, 2 others are accused of taking bribe to favour a businessman in a land dispute

    Senior CBI officer Vivek Dutt, who headed the coalgate scam probe team, and three others were on Friday sent to three days in the agency’s custody by a Delhi court for allegedly taking a bribe of Rs. 7 lakh from a businessman to favour him in a land dispute case.

   “All the accused are remanded in CBI custody till 21 May,” Special CBI Judge V.K. Gupta said.

    Mr. Dutt, however, claimed innocence and alleged a conspiracy has been hatched to keep him out of the Supreme Court-monitored coalgate probe team.

He said Mr. Dutt is being targeted as there is no direct involvement of the CBI’s SP and nothing has been recovered from him.
“You (CBI) are diluting the important investigation which the whole country is seeing…You are diluting the probe which is being monitored by the Supreme Court,” the counsel said.

COAL MAAL: Some Cartoons

COAL SCAM : OPEN LOOT

An Article from ‘Common Man Speaks’

18 AUG/12
0
Judging by the latest CAG report that has brought to light the coal scam or coalgate worth Rs 1.86 lakh crore, we can say that no other government has brought as much shame to India in its tenure as the current UPA. With this scam, the government has achieved an almost impossible feat of breaking its own record of Rs 1.70 lakh crore, which was scored in the 2G scam.
By cartoonist Kureel Manoj
But during all these scams, what has been more annoying is that they have never accepted the fact that there is a scam in the first place. In the case of this coal scam too, the Congress has refused to accept the CAG report! Naturally, due to such denials, they have also rubbished off all possibilities of at least a probe in the issue.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was the Coal Minister when the scam took place but he, along with his party, has plainly refused to take responsibility and worse, even speak anything on it! Like a number of scams that has happened during his tenure, he has washed his hands off of this one too, whose estimated figure is just unthinkable!

It is also impossible to forget that exactly a year ago, Singh had given a written promise to Anna Hazare of passing a strong Lokpal Bill. We all know how his promise turned out to be a sad joke. This also proves he and his government just don’t want a decline (forget end) in corruption.

With scams worth unthinkable amounts taking place right under Singh’s nose and he not doing a thing about it, the big question is – What right he has to continue to sit on the chair of the PM? Sorry to say this but we have had enough of your silent (in actions as well) attitude to a long list of scams amounting to lakhs of crores of loss to the country. As it is, due to the pro-corruption attitude of you and your so-called government, you have proved to be as good as the British! If you have 0.001% shame left, please resign

Coalaveri: When Netadom Went Mining

Most Companies Against Whom CBI Has Filed FIRs Have Links With Political Heavyweights

Josy Joseph TNN

       New Delhi: Most of the companies against whom FIRs were filed by the CBI on Tuesday have either direct or indirect links with the politically powerful. Sources in CBI and CVC say more cases could be filed soon, naming more companies with political connections.

     On Tuesday, the CBI named Nav Bharat Power, JLD Yavatmal, JAS Infrastructure and AMR Iron and Steel among the firms accused of cheating and suppressing facts to get blocks. Nav Bharat was started by two individuals from Andhra Pradesh and sold to Essar, CBI says, for a staggering profit. Essar, charged in the 2G scam, bought Nav Bharat as a subsidiary of Essar Power, which in turn is a subsidiary of Essar Energy Plc.

     Of the other four companies, JLD Yavatmal and JAS Infrastructure are associated with Congress MP and publishing baron Vijay Darda. While JLD Yavatmal is reportedly named after his father, he had a minority stake in JAS Infrastructure, where his business partner was Manoj Jayaswal. Darda has denied he used his influence to help these companies. The CBI FIR names Darda.

    Jayaswal and associates have over 20 coal blocks. The Abhijeet group’s promoter is said to have regularly hosted senior Congress and BJP leaders at his home and functions like his children’s weddings.
Vaibhav Tulsyan, a businessman who started Vini Iron and Steel Udyog, too was raided. He said he had sold the company to an associate of Madhu Koda, former Jharkhand CM, now in jail for corruption.

       “Because of Naxal problem we couldn’t run the company. When Vijay Joshi, a close Koda aide approached us with a good offer, we sold the company to him. At the time of coal block allocation, the company was with Joshi,” Tulsyan told a news agency. Filings with the corporate affairs ministry say by 2011, Vijay Joshi was holding over 97% of company shares.
Recently, it emerged that union minister Subodh Kant Sahai in 2008 recommended to the PMO a coal block for a company in which his brother was director.
PRIVATE UNLIMITED Snapshot of the five companies CBI filed charges against 
NAV BHARAT POWER
(Hyderabad)
Sold to Essar in 2010
Promoter of Nav Bharat Prasad Brothers
Got coal blocks in Rampia and Dip-side Rampia in Orissa
Directors | P Trivikrama Prasad, YHC Prasad
VINI IRON AND STEEL UDYOG (Kolkata)
Sold to Vijay Joshi, close aide of Madhu Koda
Accused named by CBI promoter Vaibhav Tulsyan
Got coal blocks in Rajhara North in Jharkhand Directors | Sanjeev Tulsyan, Prashant Tulsyan, Vaibhav Tulsyan, Nisha Tulsyan, Vimal Tulsyan, Nirmala Tulsyan, Hemant Kr Agarwal, Navin Tulsyan
JLD YAVATMAL ENERGY
(Nagpur)
Got coal block in Fatehpur East in Chhattisgarh
Promoted by Jayaswal Group, close aides of MP Vijay Darda Directors | Vijay Darda, Rajendra Darda, Devendra Darda, Manoj Jayaswal, Anand Jayaswal, Abhishek Jayaswal
JAS INFRASTRUCTURE CAPITAL (Nagpur)
Got coal block in Matihagarhi in Jharkhand
Promoted by Jayaswal Group, aides of MP Vijay Darda Directors | Manoj Jayaswal, Abhishek Jayaswal, Anand Jayaswal
AMR IRON AND STEEL
(Nagpur)
Got Bander coal block in Maharashtra
Promoted by Jayaswal Group, aides of MP Vijay Darda Directors | Arvind Jayaswal, Manoj Jayaswal, Ramesh Jayaswal, Devendra Darda

CBI at JLD Yavatmal Energy Limited office in Nagpur

One family that struck gold in coal mines

Supriya Sharma TNN

       New Delhi: Of the five companies raided on Tuesday, three belong to one family – the Nagpur-based Jayaswals. Split in two businesses, they are among the largest beneficiaries in the coal block allocations, holding 10 blocks with more than 900 million tonnes of coal. What is more striking is that they managed to get such a large allocation with only one project running on the ground.
Outside Raipur, in the smog-filled industrial area of Siltara, exists a steel plant run by Jayaswal Neco company. Headed by the family patriarch Basant Lal Jayaswal, the company is managed by his son Ramesh Jayaswal. Until a few years ago, Ramesh’s elder Manoj was part of the Neco Group. But following a family feud, he branched out, taking control of companies under the banner of Abhijeet Group.
Business circles in the region believed the brothers had parted on an acrimonious note and that their businesses, Neco and Abhijeet group, were separate. But on Tuesday, when an unknown company AMR Iron and Steel was raided, and journalists scoured through its returns filed with the registrar of companies, they discovered that the brothers jointly held stake in the company, with their father and family. People in Nagpur are now speculating if AMR in the company’s name stands for ‘Arvind, Manoj, Ramesh’. Arvind is their older brother. But the larger question is how did one family corner 10 blocks. Part of the answer could lie in the family’s political clout. One of the directors of JLD Yavatmal, in which Manoj holds partial stake, was Devendra Darda, son of Congress MP Vijay Darda.

       Abhijeet Group seemed to have the ability to win the support of bureaucrats. Of the six blocks it was allotted, five lie in Jharkhand. Meanwhile, Jayaswal Neco features among 58 companies that were issued show cause notices this year for “unsatisfactory progress” in their projects. The review committee noted the company had not shown any progress in expanding its plant in Siltara for which it had been allocated 215 million tonne mine in Jharkhand and 107 million tonne mine in Chhattisgarh – a staggering allocation. Strikingly, even in 2010, the committee had made similar observations, asking for show cause notices to be issued to the company, adding that the Chhattisgarh HC had ordered the state government not to allow the expansion of the plant.
In the case of Abhijeet group, which obtained three coal blocks in 2005 for a sponge iron plant, not only has the company shown no progress in setting up the plant, seven years after it got a block, it has not even finalized where its plant would be. Again, both in 2010 and 2012, the company was issued show cause notices, but no action was taken.

ALL IN THE FAMILY 

     Of five cos raided on Tuesday, three belong to one family — the Nagpur-based Jayaswals
Family patriarch Basant Jayaswal. Three sons Ramesh, Manoj & Arvind
Ramesh manages Jayaswal Neco Group. Father is group chairman. Manoj (pic) heads Abhijeet Group
ABHIJEET GROUP HAS SIX COAL BLOCKS
Jharkhand | Five blocks
Chhattisgarh | Fatehpur East (Allocated to JLD Yavatmal Energy)
These six add up to 444 mn tonnes of coal
Jayaswal cos raided today
AMR Iron and Steel (jointly held) | JAS Infrastructure (Abhijeet Group) | JLD Yavatmal (Abhijeet Group & Darda Family)
JAYASWAL NECO GROUP HAS THREE COAL BLOCKS
Chattisgarh | Gare Palma IV/4 Gare Palma IV/8 Jharkhand | Moitra
These add up to
447 mn tonnes
JOINT OWNERSHIP: AMR
Three brothers jointly own AMR Iron and Steel, allocated a 31 mn tonne block Bander, Maharashtra
Between them, 10 blocks and 917 mn tonnes of coal

Andher Nagari: Coalgate – PM Not Involved?

Coalgate: PM took no action on repeated missives by BJP MP

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: BJP Lok Sabha member Hansraj Ahir, whose complaint has led the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) order the CBI to hold a preliminary enquiry (PE) into the allocation of coal blocks between 2006 and 2009, had been writing regularly to the PM since 2009 on the issue, but only got acknowledgements for reply.
According to Ahir, while Prime Minister Manmohan Singh himself regularly acknowledged his letters, the government took no action on the irregularities’ regarding allocation of coal blocks to various private entities.
Starting December 24, 2008, Ahir wrote to the PM about 10 letters, highlighting allocation of coal blocks to private entities without an open competitive bidding process. He had contended that since 2006 the ministry of coal had distributed “scores of coal blocks to some private owners along with few government companies”. He argued that a total of 49 billion tonnes of reserves exist in these blocks, of which 21.61 billion tonnes had gone to private firms. He said the allocations on a first-come-firstserve basis were taking place after the government had in June, 2004, decided to introduce competitive bidding regime.
Last Wednesday, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) had issued a detailed clarification, justifying the entire allocation procedure. “It may be stated that the allocation of coal blocks was never looked upon as a potential source for generating revenue for the Central Government. The intent of the government was to induce rapid development of infrastructure which was so very essential to keep the economy on a high growth trajectory. Hence the question of maximizing revenue does not arise at all. The idea of introduction of bidding cropped up only in the wake of increasing demand for captive coal blocks and the consequent necessity of putting in place a process, which is demonstrably more transparent,” the PMO said.
Though there is no evidence yet of a criminal conspiracy in allocation of coal blocks, there is an eerie parallel between 2G scam and this case, especially the studied silence of the government to persistent complaints by an Opposition leader.
In the case of 2G scam, Dr Subramanian Swamy and others wrote regularly to the PM and others, but there was no response. Later, the Supreme Court blamed the PMO for sitting on the repeated requests to Dr Singh for prosecution of former telecom minister A Raja.
The SC had said, “Unfortunately, those who were expected to give proper advice to Prime Minister and place full facts and legal position before him failed to do so…We have no doubt that if the Prime Minister had been apprised of the true factual and legal position regarding the representation made by the appellant, he would have surely taken appropriate decision.”
Ahir had not sought permission to prosecute anyone, but had been making demands for cancelling the coal block allocations.

Hansraj Ahir

Andher Nagari: Where is Justice?

Sense of insecurity forced victim’s family to give up

Hina Rohtaki TNN

Panchkula: The security cover provided to Ruchika Girhotra’s family as it faced intimidation during its campaign for justice was removed three months before a local court accepted closure report on two cases against the former cop S P S Rathore.
The family did not object to the closure of cases against Rathore amid this sense of insecurity and decided to end the 22-year struggle for justice.
A PCR van stationed outside the Girhotras’ residence in Panchkula’s sector-12A area has nobody to operate it. The van was deployed for the family’s security along with the cover three years back. Sources said security to Girhotras was withdrawn without any notice.
Panchkula DCP Parul Kush said she was unaware of the removal of the security. “I will have to check records as I have taken over recently,” she said.

CHANDIGARH: The family of Ruchika Girhotra, a minor girl who allegedly committed suicide after molestation by former Haryana director general of police (DGP) SPS Rathore, has given up its fight for justice in the court of law after 22 years.

The special CBI court Panchkula on Friday accepted the closure report submitted by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in two cases – attempt to murder and forgery of documents- filed against former Haryana DGP SPS Rathore.

Ruchika’s father Subhash and brother Ashu raised no objection to the closure report.

Admitting that he was not in a position to pursue the matter further, Subhash said, “I do not see any hope now. We feel cheated. My family is vulnerable. The circumstances have pushed us back by 20 years.”

“When Rathore was convicted in 2009, I met union home minister P C Chidambaram who assured me of justice. I thought time and system had changed and dared to move fresh complaints against Rathore.” On January 12, 2010 the CBI registered three fresh FIRs against Rathore – attempt to murder, abetment to suicide and doctoring of documents. However, in November 2010, the CBI submitted the closure report in two cases. The closure report was accepted by the court on Friday.

“But now after finding that the system cannot be changed, we decided not to pursue it further,” Girhotra said.

Ruchika’s disillusioned father said that he had presented a lot of material and some witnesses related to the fresh cases before the agency. “But the agency was adamant on closing the case.”

Subhash forced his son and family into exile after Ruchika’s death, fearing further harassment at the hands of the former DGP. During this period, the family shifted between several cities and returned to Panchkula many years later only to lead an inconspicuous life.

The third case against Rathore- abetment to suicide – is still pending. The CBI could not file any report as the Punjab and Haryana high court has ordered status quo on it. Besides Rathore, former Ambala SP KP Singh, sub-inspector Prem Dutt and assistant sub-inspectors Jai Narayan and Sewa Singh were also named in the FIR.

In its closure report, the CBI has said that the allegations levelled by Subhash Girhotra and his son Ashu against Rathore were unfounded. The CBI also claimed that the allegations could not be substantiated “as per the documentary evidence and oral testimony of witnesses.”

Ruchika Case—Timeline

August 12, 1990– SPS Rathore, then IG and President, Haryana Lawn Tennis Association (HLTA) molested Ruchika

September 1990–Ruchika expelled from school for ‘indiscipline’ following her allegations against Rathore

September 3, 1990– An Inquiry report indicts Rathore

October 23, 1993– Ruchika’s brother arrested in several theft cases

December 28, 1993– Ruchika consumed poisonous substance

December 29, 1993– Ruchika died

August 21, 1998– High Court directs CBI to conduct inquiry

December 21, 2009– CBI court sentenced six months’ rigorous imprisonment to Rathore

January 12, 2010– CBI registered three fresh FIRs leveling charges of attempt to murder, abetment to suicide and doctoring documents

November 10, 2010– CBI filed closure

MISERY NEVER ENDS: Ruchika’s father, Subash Girhotra, (right) said the family presented a lot of documents related to the cases against ex-DGP S P S Rathore but the CBI ‘seemed to be adamant on closure’

Andher Nagari:Haryana : Molestation of Minor & Gross abuse of Power

A young girl is molested . A detesteble deed.

Worse follows. Under official pressure the child is expelled from school. No school will admit her fearing police harassment .

Father of girl hounded outof town for daring to complain.

Brother : 11 fake cases of theft made against the teen aged brother.

The promising child driven to  suicide.

Two decades for a court to sentence the accused.

Where did this happen? In Pakistan? Afghanistan? USA?

No In our own country, in Chandigarh. Haryana.

The school authorities get away, the rogue policemen who framed 11 false charges are enjoying life. The perpetrator got many promotions.

The couple who bravely took up the case were harased. The gentleman deprived of promotions and forced in to early retirement.

Complete misuse of power and official machinary in Haryana.

MOLESTATION OF MINOR, ABUSE OF POWER

First Signed Complaint In 1990 Formed Basis Of Case

Supriya Bhardwaj | TNN
Chandigarh: Though the promising tennis player Ruchika Girhotra took her life three years after she was molested, it was her first signed complaint, which was submitted as memorandum on August 16, 1990 before the then Haryana governor, which acted as the foundation on which the case was registered and later contested for 19 long years.

‘Won’t rest till Rathore is punished’

Supriya Bhardwaj | TNN
Chandigarh: Although 19 years have gone by, the traumatic memory of her best friend being molested by then Haryana IG SPS Rathore, rushes back every time Aradhana holds a tennis racquet. The 32-year-old has never been able to play the game she loved after Ruchika killed herself.

‘‘Even at that tender age, her groundstrokes were brilliant. Today, I am sure her soul will find some satisfaction in Rathore being convicted,’’ said Aradhana, who flew in from Australia to hear the verdict of the long battle she has waged along with her parents.

‘‘I don’t want any other girl to go through the same sorrow. The fight isn’t over yet. We’ll pursue it till Rathore gets harsher punishment,’’ she added. Ruchika was thrown out of school

Chandigarh: After the molestation of 14-year-old Ruchika by then Haryana inspector general SPS Rathore, took place in the office of the Haryana Lawn Tennis Association in August 1990. Rathore, later promoted to DGP, pulled rank and made life a nightmare for Ruchika and her family, said her friend Aradhana.

A traumatized Ruchika, who was thrown out of school, killed herself after false cases, including car theft, were framed against her 16-year-old brother. ‘‘The Girhotras were persecuted for standing up to the top cop,’’ Aradhana said.

Their persecution began after the Girhotras, along with Ruchika and her parents, Anand and Madhu Prakash, went to then Haryana home secretary with a memorandum. This was the first official complaint for an inquiry. The same day, Ruchika went to the tennis court around 5pm to find a notice declaring her suspension.

That was just the beginning. ‘‘Her father could no longer work, her brother was implicated on trumped up charges and beaten up. And the schools refused to admit her,’’ said Aradhana.
What drove her to suicide, said Aradhana, was police landing at their doorstep in 1993 and parading her brother outside the house.Teenaged brother was framed in 11 cases

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chandigarh: The Prakash family strove hard to get justice for Ruchika, but what about Ruchika’s elder brother, Ashu, then only a teenager, who was thrashed by police and slapped with several cases?
Madhu Prakash, one of the complainants, said they will not just try to get abetment-to-suicide case reopened but also fight against harassment faced by the Girhotra family. The local judiciary is surprised at the way

Ruchika’s teenager brother was slapped with 11 cases, most involving him in theft.

Punjab and Haryana high court advocate Ranjan Lakhanpal said the cases registered against Ashu were a blatant abuse of process of law. ‘‘Influential officials made mockery of police and judicial system,’’ he said.
Joining him, human rights activist T S Sudan, who closely watched the case, said: ‘‘The brother was falsely implicated in theft cases and was beaten up. It’s a clear case where the victim’s brother was implicated to put pressure on Ruchika and her family.’’

No counsellor at Ruchika’s school

Chandigarh: As the 19-year-old case of molestation of Ruchika unfolded, it shook her family and friends who had to relive those unfortunate moments. Shockingly, her school had no counselling facility that could prevent her from committing suicide.

The counselling facility is CBSE’s main requirement in all schools, especially for adolescents. The Sacred Heart Senior Secondary School, which had expelled Ruchika a month after the molestation case on the grounds of indiscipline, still doesn’t have a dedicated counsellor or a psychologist to tackle cases of harassment.

Said B S Chavan, head of the department of psychiatry, Government Medical College and Hospital: ‘‘Couseling can help in preventing suicide.’’ TNN

Harassment: RAW style

EX RAW man caught up in legal wrangles

Sunetra ChoudhuryThursday, February 7, 2008 (New Delhi)

      The case of former spy Gen VK Singh came up in the district courts this week but it didn’t go far.

       He is in court because he wrote about his ex-employer, India’s external intelligence agency, RAW.

      He was charged under the Official Secrets Act, and in just the last four months, he’s had nine hearings and not a single decision.

      Gen VK Singh keeps going through the officers’ Code but he can’t find what he did wrong. He reads: ”An indicator of deterioration in moral values is propensity of senior officers to live off land, a euphemism for misusing perks.”

       He waits in his lawyer’s chamber for yet another hearing on his bail petition. In the Tis Hazari courts, four judges have already refused to take a decision and so Singh, like a million other litigants, is playing the waiting game.

      When the hearing ends, it’s another day of waiting gone to waste. The CBI doesn’t allow the media to report on his case.

      ”The matter is sub-judice, we cannot make comment,” said Chander Maini, Lawyer.

       However, Singh can comment. It’s a logjam he says, a legal system which accepts the right to information in theory but is still stuck with the Official Secrets Act that the law commission says should be repealed. Singh has been booked under the Act for writing about his time as a spy.

     ”For instance in a chapter of the book I tell them about substandard equipment that was procured. The tender has gone out to various countries, so there’s nothing classified about it,” said VK Singh, CBI accused.

      It may sound straightforward but for every judge who’s been involved, it’s not.

       In the crowded courts and judicial system, Gen VK Singh’s case seems to be lost. He’s got a future court date but his hopes of that being positive are not very high.

IC-814 hijack case: An Unfinished Task, Main culprits are free

IC-814 hijack case: An Unfinished Task Main culprits are free

       A CBI court in Patiala has sentenced all three accused in the IC-814 hijacking case of 1999 to life imprisonment.

      Abdul Latif, Yusuf Nepali and Dilip Kumar Bhujel have been charged under anti hijacking law and also for attempt to murder, conspiracy and abduction.

      But the masterminds of the hijacking of the Indian Airlines plane to Kandahar have never been caught. Maulana Masood and two others were let off in exchange for hostages.

     Earlier, BS Lodhi, defence lawyer had said, ”Hands of judicial officers are tied when no accused is arrested or produced before the court for the purpose of trial. It is difficult for the court to pass an order against those persons who are abandoning in the case.”

     The weeklong hijack drama ended with the release of three dreaded terrorists Masood Azhar Mushtaq, Ahmed Zargar and Sheikh Ahmed Omar Saeed.

      All 189 on board were let off safely, except two, Rupen Katyal was killed by the hijackers on day one and Satnam Singh was stabbed nine times, but survived. He later left the country. Today his family believes a trial without the main hijackers is simply meaningless.

”They couldn’t get the real hijackers. They should get them. What is the point? They should be punished,” said Bawa Singh, Satnam Singh’s father.

       Masood Azhar, the most high profile of the three freed militants, floated the Jaish-e-Mohd immediately after his release. It went on to become the most dreaded terror outfit in Jammu and Kashmir.

      Eight years after the hijacking of IC 814 intelligence inputs suggest that Mulana Masood Azhar;s younger brother Ibrahim Athar, who was the principal hijacker is once again getting active, has been entrusted with the job of reenergizing and strengthen the network of Jaish-e-Mohd across the country.

       Intelligence inputs also suggest that Masood Azhar’s brother trained militants for a Jaish module in Uttar Pradesh, targeting Rahul Gandhi.

       ”Brother of Azhar Masood, who was one of the hijackers, later on played a very important role in Pakistan in fermenting militancy,” said S P Vaid, IG Police, Jammu Region.

       A verdict after eight long years for a week spent in absolute terror.

       For those who lived to tell the tale, it will be empty justice unless the main accused are brought to book.

Mayawati: Love and Affection turns in to wealth

      Aided by the Income tax Department, and the Congress Maya’s annual income jumps to Rs 60 crore  

Rs 15 Crore Advance Tax Till Dec 

 Pradeep Thakur | TNN  New Delhi: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati is growing richer by the year. During the last financial year, her income was estimated at an impressive Rs 52 crore. This financial year, her income is on course to crossing Rs 60 crore.
   Till the quarter ended December 31, the Dalit czarina had paid Rs 15 crore as advance tax. At 33% income tax slab, this works out to an income of about Rs 45 crore. If the trend continues between December 15, when the last instalment of advance tax was paid, and March 31, 2008, she could end the year with an income of over Rs 60 crore.
   Indeed, if the turnout at her January 15 birthday bash is any indication, she could close the year with a much higher income. The BSP chief has attributed her remarkable financial rise to “gifts” from her generous supporters.
   Based on her Rs 9.7 crore payout on December 15, Mayawati was already ranked 18th in the all-India individual taxpayers category, a remarkable rise for the former government schoolteacher. And based on her payments till December, which amounted to Rs 15 crore, she was placed 19th.
   She is ranked a few notches below Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan in the advance tax list. Not only is Mayawati’s income more than that of any politician, she ranks higher than the Ambani brothers, Birlas, Bachchans, Ratan Tata and Infosys’s Nandan Nilekani.
         Kumaramangalam Birla trails the the Dalit leader way behind, at 57th place, while the richest cricketer, Master Blaster Tendulkar is a distant 85th. Aamir Khan is placed even farther, at a not-so-impresive 123rd.
         Mayawati’s explanation of a turaround in her fortunes may appear a fairy tale to many, but was accepted last year by the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal, which legitimized her claim.

       The script is likely to remain the same this year as well. More so, as she is in power. Though the finance ministry usually does not get into proving the source of income of individuals, it has in Mayawati’s case, as in many other instances earlier, shown its readiness to examine the veracity of her claim.
   Mayawati in her statements before the taxmen and to CBI, which is investigating her in a disproportionate assets case, had claimed that her supporters had given her large amounts of cash and pledged their personal properties out of “love and affection” and for the welfare of the downtrodden and the Dalits.

RICHER AND RICHER       BSP chief paid Rs 15cr advance tax till December, indicating total income of around Rs 45cr till then
      Her income, estimated at Rs 52cr during 2006-07, is likely to cross Rs 60cr
      Maya ranks 19th, going by her advance payment, behind Shah Rukh Khan but far ahead of the Ambani brothers, Tatas, Birlas, Bachchans and Infosys’s Nandan Nilekani

Maya paid Rs 12 cr tax in ’06-07 on gifts

       New Delhi: Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati’s contentions that her supporters had given her large amounts of cash and pledged their personal properties out of “love and affection” was validated by the Income Tax Appelate Tribunal (ITAT) in a recent ruling finding nothing wrong in a mass leader like Mayawati receiving “gifts”.
         “These gifts are made out of natural love and affection by the donors thus remains unquestioned and uncontroversial,” the ITAT ruling had said, ridiculing the motive of the I-T assessing officer in questioning the colour of the money. The Dalit leader had paid more than Rs 12 crore in the previous year on income coming from other sources, such as gifts. Though the quantum of gifts she declared before the I-T department in previous years was negligible, in 2003-04, she even claimed standard deduction on them.
   The wealth creation of the Dalit czarina in the account books took a gigantic proportion after the CBI started breathing down her neck in the disproportionate assets case, asking her to explain the yawning gulf between her known sources of income and her wealth.
   The CBI, during its investigation against the Bahujan Samaj Party chief a few years ago, had found more than 70 properties and over 300 donations valued at Rs 13 crore in her name and in the names of her family members. Subsquently, the agency froze over 50 bank accounts having more than Rs 7 crore in them.
   After the law relating to gifts from a non-relative was amended in 2004 where a gift of more than Rs 50,000 from a non-relative in one year could be considered as income of the assessee, Mayawati started filing returns showing gifts as her income and paid taxes on them, sources said.
   Surprised by the manner in which the ITAT had legitimized her gifts and the uproar it generated from a cross-section of the society, the government has said it would appeal against the tribunal judgment in the Delhi High Court and seek a reversal of the order as otherwise it will set a precedent.