[Here' it'd be pertinent to mention that UPAI completed its term without being troubled by any scam, except almost at its fag end - the allegation of purchase of opposition MPs during the trust vote by Amar Singh, of the SP (then), on its behalf. More serious, and somewhat paralysing, allegations, pertaining to the UPAI, would surface only during the succeeding term.
The incumbent regime finds itself mired in scams, pretty early, with the Prime Minister / "Chowkidar" himself playing the lead role. Came to power on May 26 2014, on April 10 2015, the "Chowkidar" would enter into a defence deal - amounting to about Rs. 60,000 cr., on foreign soil, contemptuously setting aside all due procedures. Despite "managing the media", by means fair and foul, would come back to haunt, as the largest scam in independent India, not too long after. Then, the disappearance of Vijay Mallya from under its nose. To be followed by Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi. Lobbying on behalf of a fugitive, Lalit Modi. Jay Amit Shah ... The list continues. Now, direct charge of bribe taking against a Central minister, in the Supreme Court. Also implicated, understandably, the most favoured and powerful bureaucrat - Ajit Doval.] I/II. https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/cbi-officer-who-investigated-rakesh-asthana-petitions-supreme-court-against-his-transfer-denied-urge-1949588 "A Few Crores Was Paid To Minister": Transferred CBI Officer's Petition Manish Kumar Sinha was among the officers who were transferred after the Alok Verma and Rakesh Asthana were sent on compulsory leave in October. All India | Reported by Sunetra Choudhury, Edited by Deepshikha Ghosh | Updated: November 19, 2018 15:01 IST Manish Kumar Sinha was among the officers who were transferred by the CBI. NEW DELHI: HIGHLIGHTS CBI's Manish Sinha has challenged transfer to Nagpur in Supreme Court He led probe against CBI No 2; claims transfer aimed at helping senior Government functionary took bribe, officer alleges in petition to court A CBI officer who led an investigation against the agency's number two officer Rakesh Asthana today claimed before the Supreme Court that a union minister of state took "a few crores" as bribe to intervene on behalf of a businessman on the agency's radar. CBI officer Manish Kumar Sinha, who has petitioned the court against his transfer to Nagpur as part of a sudden shake-up in the agency last month, told the court today that he had "documents that will shock the court". He said his transfer was aimed at "changing the course of the investigation" and help Rakesh Asthana. "Nothing shocks us," replied Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi, rejecting his request for an urgent hearing. Manish Sinha investigated allegations that Rakesh Asthana, the CBI number two, had taken bribe to help a Hyderabad-based businessman, Satish Sana, linked to an investigation. Sana is a co-accused in multiple cases being investigated against meat exporter Moin Qureshi, who is accused of money laundering. Rakesh Asthana had alleged that Sana had bribed CBI Director Alok Verma. The officer, who was also in charge of the bank scam investigations against celebrity jeweler Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi, alleges that his transfer in the early hours of October 24 was "arbitrary, motivated and malafide, and was made solely with the purpose and intent to victimise the officer as the investigation revealed cogent evidence against certain powerful persons." He says there is "reasonable apprehension... of tampering with evidence, exonerate the existing accused persons against whom there already exists overwhelming evidence and on the contrary, implicate/punish, as a first step of which the applicant was transferred to Nagpur twelve hundred kilometres away in completely arbitrary manner in the name of so called public interest, all those who were involved in the investigation and were merely discharging their duties, impartially, without fear or favour." Mr Sinha's petition also alleges intervention in this case by many in the government. Among them is Law Secretary Suresh Chandra, who, says Mr Sinha "waded into the issue". Rekha Rani, an IAS officer, allegedly contacted Satish Sana on behalf of the Law Secretary. Satish Sana spoke to him on Whatsapp, says the petition. "The Union Law Secretary Suresh Chandra said that he was in London for some work related to Nirav Modi case, that he was trying to contact him (Sana) for last 4/5 days in order to convey message of Cabinet Secretary PK Sinha that the Union Government will offer full protection to him, that there will be a drastic change on Tuesday (13th) and that he (Sana) should meet him (Suresh Chandra) on Wednesday(14th)," the CBI officer claims. Suresh Chandra, asked by NDTV to respond to the claims, said: "This is all false. I never went to London, I don't know who Satish Sana or Rekha Rani is. It is complete fabrication." Mr Sinha also alleges that Chief Vigilance Commissioner KV Chowdary "called Rakesh Asthana and made inquiries" and the officer told him there was not much evidence against him. "The matter is before the Supreme Court, it is inappropriate to communicate with the media in this regard," Mr Chowdary told NDTV. Mr Sinha told the top court that his petition should be heard tomorrow along with that of CBI director Alok Verma, who was sent on forced leave days after he launched an investigation into the same charges against Mr Asthana. Mr Asthana also accused his boss Alok Verma of taking bribe from the same businessman and wrote to the vigilance chief. As the feud played out publicly, the CBI's top two were both sent on leave in a post-midnight order on October 23 and several officers in Mr Verma's team, who were investigating Mr Asthana, were transferred. II. https://www.firstpost.com/india/nsa-ajit-doval-was-close-to-middlemen-stalled-search-at-rakesh-asthana-residence-cbis-dig-tells-supreme-court-5576941.html NSA Ajit Doval was close to middlemen, stalled search at Rakesh Asthana residence, CBI's DIG tells Supreme Court India FP Staff Nov 19, 2018 16:02:15 IST In a petition filed before the Supreme Court, CBI Joint Director Manish Kumar Sinha has claimed that National Security Adviser Ajit Doval interfered in the investigations against CBI Special Director Rakesh Asthana. The petition claims that the NSA stymied a search to be carried out at Asthana’s residence. Sinha, who supervised the bribery probe against Asthana and was among officers transferred en masse in October, has alleged that the two middlemen (Manoj Prasad and Satish Babu Sana) involved in the case were close to Doval. The petition says “searches at Devender Kumar’s premises stopped n the middle as NSA called CBI Director to stop it." "That in the afternoon of 20.10.2018, searches were also conducted at the residence and the office of Shri Devender Kumar, DySP, CBI who was investigating the Moin Qureshi case. The reason for the search was based on certain inputs provided by Special Unit, based on legal interception. While the search was on, a phone call was received from Director CBI instructing to stop the search. At that time, the Applicant herein was sitting in the BS& FC office and asked the Director, to which the Director replied that this instruction has come from NSA Shri Doval." In his over 30-page petition, Manish, an IPS officer from the batch of 2000, alleged that businessman Manoj Prasad, who was arrested by the CBI on 16 October in a bribery case involving another business Satish Babu Sana, boasted of his father's (Dineshwar Prasad) close ties with National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval. "This was one of the first things Manoj claimed on being brought to CBI HQ and expressed complete surprise and anger as to how CBI could pick him up, despite his close links with the NSA Shri Doval," the petition said. According to Sana, Manoj was operating on behalf of Asthana and had promised that CBI would go soft on him if he pays up a bribe of Rs 5 crore. Manoj, allegedly, bragged about his "close ties" with the current special secretary of Research and Analysis Wing. "He (Manoj) started bragging and claimed that his brother Shri Somesh is very close to an officer at Dubai (name withheld) and to Samant Goel, presently Special Secretary, R&AW and he can get us "finished off" / "kicked out"." Manoj, according to the petition, taunted the CBI officials and said "that you people have no standing whatsoever and therefore should 'stay in limits' and let him free. He claimed that recently his brother Somesh and Samant Goel, helped the NSA Shri Ajit Doval on an important personal matter." [Facsimile] The petition says that the claims made against NSA Doval were not verified. However, Manoj also claimed that India had opted out of a contest from INTERPOL, which when verified, turned out to be factually correct. "It transpires that India was contesting for the post of delegate in INTERPOL with Joint Director, CBI Policy (Shri AK Sharma) as its nominee. There were four other contending countries. The elections were to be held sometime in 3rd week of November this year," the petition claimed. Manish, who was leading the investigation against CBI's special director Rakesh Asthana, told the Supreme Court that a Union minister took "a few crores" as bribe to intervene on behalf of a businessman on the agency's radar. Manish allegedly told the apex court that he had "documents that will shock the court". According to a report in the NDTV, Manish said his transfer was aimed at "changing the course of the investigation" and help Asthana. "Nothing shocks us," said Gogoi, rejecting his request for an urgent hearing. Another CBI officer moves Supreme Court Meanwhile, another senior CBI officer Ashwini Kumar Gupta on Saturday moved the Supreme Court alleging that his repatriation to the Intelligence Bureau (IB) was done with malafide intention. Gupta told the apex court that he was repatriated to his parent organisation IB on the ground that the order of his extension has not been received by the CBI. "No Objection Certificate" from the IB regarding the extension of tenure of Gupta had already been received by the CBI in June before the expiry of the deputation period and was forwarded to the Department of Personnel and Training for their approval, he said. "The repatriation order dated October 24 is vitiated by mala fide and interference in the fair and impartial investigation of the case and intended to penalise and victimise an officer for his honesty and integrity," Gupta said in his plea. Gupta has sought top court's permission to intervene in the matter related to CBI Director Alok Verma challenging Centre's decision divesting him of his charge as chief of the investigation agency. Updated Date: Nov 19, 2018 16:02 PM -- Peace Is Doable -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Green Youth Movement" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to greenyouth+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send an email to greenyouth@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/greenyouth. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
