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I am happy to be here with you this afternoon. We last met
on the 6th of April, and earlier on 2nd of February, 2005.
I am sure that such periodic interactions have helped us in
developing a better understanding of our roles and also given
us an opportunity of sharing information, news and views on
various subjects.
This is our third formal press conference in this year.
It coincides with the third Special Drive being conducted
today throughout the country. As you are aware, such country
wide Anti-Corruption drives have become an important features
of CBI's functioning. It is a part of our mission to continue
our efforts to hit at corruption and take legal action against
corrupt officers having doubtful integrity. However, before
talking about the action taken by the CBI in today’s
Special Drive, let me take this opportunity to draw your attention
to some of the important achievements of the CBI in the first
six months of this year.
The CBI has registered more than 540 cases in this year
so far. These cases include 79 cases of Trap and 67 cases
of Disproportionate Assets. In this period we have finalised
more than 430 cases out of which 271 have been sent up to
Courts for Trial. In 54 cases, Regular Departmental Action
has been recommended against Govt. servants alleged to have
misused their official position and grossly violated Conduct
Rules. A case has been registered relating to supply of anti
material rifles by Denel company. The remaining cases referred
by Ministry of Defence are under examination. Three more cases
have been registered relating to Tehelka Tapes, taking the
total number of such cases to 8. Ten cases relating to Wild
Life crimes including poaching at Sariska Tiger sanctuary
have been registered.
On the orders of the Delhi High Court, CBI has registered
22 cases relating to appointments in the Central / Delhi Government
on the basis of false Scheduled Tribe certificates. A massive
exercise has been launched to verify the particulars of government/
public sector employees who have obtained employment in the
Scheduled Tribes category in last few years on the basis of
false certificates. A meeting of 103 Chief Vigilance Officers
of various Ministries/ Depts and PSUs of Central Govt. was
convened in which a decision was taken to verify the genuineness
of employment granted on the basis of such scheduled tribe
certificates.
During the last couple of months CBI has filed charge sheets
in the Parithala MLA murder case of Andhra Pradesh, Indian
Embassy shoot out case of Kathmandu and in the forged pension
pay orders case of Ministry of Home Affairs. The CBI Special
Crimes Division has also been able to solve the sensational
highway robbery -cum-murder case of truck drivers in Haryana.
This case was solved within 5 months of taking over the investigation.
We were also able to rescue / recover a minor girl kidnapped
from Meharauli in April, 2004 within 35 days of taking over
the investigation from Delhi Police. The Economic Offences
Wing of CBI was able to secure conviction in 2 important cases
of Securities Scam of 1992. The former Chairman of UCO Bank
Shri K. Margbanthu and Stock Brokers S/Shri Ashwin Mehta and
Sudhir Mehta alongwith 5 others were convicted. Two officers
of National Housing Bank and 1 officer of ANZ Grindlays bank
alongwith 2 associates of late Harshad Mehta were convicted
in the case relating to loss of nearly Rs. 506 crores. This
is the 10th Securities Scam case in which CBI has been able
to secure conviction. We have also been able to secure conviction
of 3 accused persons in the Fake Stamp Paper cases which were
handed over to CBI in March, 2004 by the Supreme Court.
I hope you will take positive note of these achievements
alongwith the highlights of today’s raids
During the 3rd Special Drive held today i.e. on 30.6.2005
the main focus of our attention has been detection of disproportionate
assets cases against corrupt public servants. So far we have
registered 30 cases against 31 public servants for amassing
assets disproportionate to their known sources of income.
In total, 48 cases against 106 persons including 50 public
servants and 56 private persons have been registered today.
Searches are being conducted at more than 183 places through
out the country. These include Delhi(41), Mumbai(16), Kolkata(11),Jaipur(11),
Dehradun(10), Chandigarh(8), Ghaziabad(7), Aligarh(7),Ahmedabad(6),
Bangalore(4), Chennai (3), Surat(4), Beharampur(3), Angul(3),
Silchar(3), Lucknow (2), Baroda (2), Udaipur(2), Hazaribag(2),
Hyderabad(2), Agra(2), Sambalpur(2), Hathras(2), Ajamgarh,Muzaffarnagr,
Gandhinagar, Patna, Sahibabad, Gorakhpur, Trivandurm, Ernakulam
etc.,
Cases have been registered under the Prevention of Corruption
Act,1988 Sections 7, 13(1) (d), 13(1)(e) r/w 13(2) for demanding
and accepting bribes, possession of disproportionate assets
and abuse of official position and causing wrongful loss to
the government and wrongful gain to the private persons. Cases
have also been registered under Sections-120 B, 420/468/470/471
of IPC relating to cheating, forgery, criminal conspiracy
etc.,
These cases involve officers from the departments of Income
Tax, Customs,Central Excise, BSNL, Narcotic Control Bureau,,
National Insurance Company Ltd, Ministry of Water Resource,
Ministry of Information Technology and Communication, Delhi
Development Authority, NCT Delhi, Delhi Police, Employees
Provident Fund Organization, Bureau of Indian Standard, NALCO,
RITES, PGI Chandigarh, State Bank of India, Railways, National
Institute of Design, IFCI (Industrial Financial Corp. of India),
Punjab National Bank, Dena Bank, Central Bank of India, erstwhile
Global Trust Bank, Hindustan Organic Chemical Ltd etc.,
As per information received so far properties worth Rs.10
crores approximately have been detected which includes moveable
/ immovable properties, cash, jewelry and other valuables.
This is a tentative figure as searches are in progress and
investigations are in the preliminary stage. Many immovable
properties detected are yet to be evaluated. Cash worth Rs.60
lakhs have also been detected so far. Many lockers have also
been identified which would be operated in due course.
Highlights of recoveries in today's raids, as per information
received so far are :-
Today 2 Superintendent of Central Excise, Anti-Evasion Cell,
Kolkata were arrested while demanding a bribe of Rs. 1 lakh
and accepting Rs.25,000 as the first installment. They were
caught red handed. Both have been arrested. Searches at their
offices and residences are continuing. Cash Rs.3 lakhs has
been recovered from the house of one Supdt. and documents
showing other liquid assets worth Rs.18 lakhs have been detected.
A case has been registered against a former CMD of erstwhile
Global Trust Bank Hyderabad and 6 other Directors / Executive
Directors of the bank for cheating criminal misappropriation
and criminal conspiracy. It has been alleged that M/s Shonkh
Technologies Ltd. were sanctioned loan over draft limit of
Rs.40 crores as working capital. The funds sanctioned by the
bank where misused by the promoters and transferred to M/s
Goldfish Computer Pvt. Ltd. and later to M/s Panther Fincap
etc. These companies are group of companies of Sh Ketan Parekh.
Searches have been conducted in this case at 11 places in
New Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Bangalore.
A case has been registered against an Additional Director,
Education, GNCT, Delhi for disproportionate assets. Preliminary
searches have unearthed a three storey house with basement
in East of Kailash, a house in Sheikh Sarai, a plot of land
in Gurgaon, flats in Rohini, Kalusarai and Gurgaon. A shop
in Karolbagh and agricultural land and jewlery weighing 1
kg. Cash recovered 7.25 lakhs. Total assets 2.50 crores identified
so far.
A case has been registered against Joint Commissioner, Central
Excise and Customs presently on deputation to Central Economic
Intelligence Bureau for possession of disproportionate assets
to the tune of Rs.92 lakhs. Searches have so far revealed
assets to the tune of Rs.2 crores including recovery of cash
worth Rs.8.5 lakhs. He is alleged to own 3 flats at Vasant
Kunj, Delhi, Dehradun and a farm house and shops. 3 vehicles
including a honda city.
A case of disproportionate assets has been registered against
an ACP of Delhi Police. As per searches conducted so far he
owns a house in Safdarjung Enclave. It is also suspected that
the ACP owns a farm house in Meharauli, 200 bigahs of agriculture
land in Muzaffarnagar and a fleet of cars comprising, Toyota
Corolla, Hyundai Accent, Santro and Tata Safari and a locker.
Total assets of more than Rs.2 crores have been identified
so far.
A case has been registered against an Additional Executive
Director of Electronics and Computer Software Export Promotion
Council, Ministry of Communication and IT for acquiring properties
which are disproportionate to known source of income to the
tune of Rs.85,35,543. Five immovable properties and bank balance
of Rs. 25 lakhs have been detected during the searches so
far. 10 Air Conditioners were also found installed at the
private residence of the officer.
A case has been registered against a Manager, PNB, Sahibabad
and M/s Maharaji Educational Trust for causing a loss of Rs.10.23
crore to the bank. Searches are being conducted at the residence
of the Bank Manager in Delhi and offices of Company at two
places in Ghaziabad. Incriminating documents has been seized.
A case against 8 private persons including 3 Directors of
M/s Darshan Oils Ltd.,Aligarh regarding cheating and forgery
on the basis of forged documents causing and loss of Rs.21.55
crores to the bank. Searches are being conducted in 7 premises
at Aligarh including the residences and offices of the accused
persons.
A case of disproportionate assets has been registered against
one DGM, BSNL, Gorakhpur. Searches are being conducted at
Deharadun and Ajamgarh of UP. Preliminary recovery indicates
investments in 12 plots located at Varanasi, Greater Noida
and Indore. Documents relating to 12 bank accounts and one
locker at Bank of Baroda, Varanasi have been recovered.
A case of disproportionate assets has been registered against
Chief Project Manager, Railway Vikas Nigam, Raipur. This officer
was earlier GM, RITES. He is a Joint Secretary level officer.
The case has been registered after obtaining permission from
the Competent Authority. During searches conducted at Jabalpur,
Nagpur, Gorakhpur cash Rs. 7 lakhs has been recovered alongwith
half Kg gold ornaments and biscuits. This officer is also
alleged to own landed property of more than 100 acres near
Nagpur.
A case of disproportionate assets has been registered against
Secretary General, National Institute of Design, Gandhinagar
. During preliminary searches documents relating to ownership
of 8 shops in Ernakulam and purchase of agriculture land during
the last three years have been recovered.
A case of Cyber Crime has been registered under Section 66
(hacking) of Information Technology Act 2000 and Section 419
(cheating) of IPC for hacking the online trading account of
an individual with M/s India Infoline Pvt. Ltd. The complainant
could not access the online account with his password. Later
it was discovered that the entire amount of Rs.5 lakhs from
the account of the complainant had been unauthorisedly withdrawn
/ invested by the accused.
A case of disproportionate assets has been registered against
a retired Executive Engineer (Xen) of DDA presently staying
in Dwarka for having connived with certain contractors and
accepted forged back guarantees of more than Rs. 9 crores
thus causing a huge financial loss to DDA. In this case searches
are being conducted at 10 places including the residence of
one Accounts Officer of DDA. So far cash Rs.2.35 lakhs, documents
pertaining to MIG flats in Janakpuri and one plot in Gurgaon,
2 bank lockers reportedly containing cash of more than Rs.
5 lakhs and FDRs for Rs. 10 lakhs and other documents have
been detected.
A case of disproportionate assets has been registered against
a store keeper of the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Science
of Chandigarh wherein 4 vehicles have been detected. 2 houses
in Sector 15 , Chandigarh have been identified. A shopping
booth in Manimajra and 2 plots of land in Panchkula and a
shop in village Khuda Mohara near Chandigarh. Six bank accounts
having a balance of Rs. 7 lakhs approximately and cash of
Rs.2 lakh have been detected.
In a disproportionate assets case against Joint Commissioner,
Central Excise cash Rs.8.5 lakhs, 2 locker keys, details of
3 vehicles and several bank accounts have been detected so
far.
A case has been registered against travel agents of Chandigarh
for operating a racket of illegal human trafficking to England
and obtaining employment for them on the basis of forged visas.
Searches at the office premises in Sector 47 of Chandigarh
are continuing.
A case has been registered against 3 retired IAS officers
and 5 private persons for cheating and criminal conspiracy
and causing loss to TRIFED to the tune of Rs. 1.9 crores.
Two cases of disproportionate assets against 2 directors
of the Bureau of Indian Standard (BIS) posted at Jaipur have
been registered. Searches are continuing.
A case has been registered against the Regional Provident
Fund Commissioner, Ahmedabad for possession of disproportionate
assets worth Rs.12 lacs. 3 Bank locker have been identified
and the officer has more 20 bank account and FDR’s worth
Rs. 15 lacs.
Surprise checks have been conducted at the shops of M/s India
Art Palace Sundar Nagar,New Delhi on the allegation of illegal
possession and sale of antiques. During the searches so far,
10 paintings on canvas, one Terra-cotta item, three stone
statute, one wooden Panel, one Metallic statue of Natraj and
one Buddisht painting pertaining to the period 18th-19th Century
of approx. value of about Rs.5 lakhs have been recovered so
far.
A case relating to recovery of 149 Fake Indian Currency Notes
of Rs.500 denomination has been registered against certain
officials of Punjab National Bank. It is alleged that the
accused officials have knowingly received the fake currency.
A case has been registered by EOW Delhi pertaining to a fraud
being committed on the Income Tax Dept by a Trust on the basis
of forged Ministry of Finance documents showing that the individuals
/ corporate making donations to the said Trust were exempt
from income tax rebate. On the basis of forged circular of
Ministry of Finance different companies / trust claimed income
tax rebate of Rs. 1.74 crores resulting in wrongful loss to
the income Tax department.
In another case EOW Chennai has detected that wrongful loss
has been caused to Industrial Financial Corp. of India by
M/s TTG Industries , Chennai and its promoters totaling Rs.
29.60 crores. M/s TTG Industries obtained a loan of Rs. 11
crores from IFCI and misappropriated the same. Out of the
total loss caused 18.6 crores is the interest component.
A case has been registered against the Regional Commissioner,
Employees Provident Fund Organization, Dehradun for acquisition
of assets worth Rs.39.9 lakhs. During the searches conducted
at 12 places in Dehradun, Jaipur, Haridwar, Karnal, Muzaffarnagar
and Thane, three immovable properties and cash balance and
investments Rs.31 lakhs has been detected so far.
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