Chit fund: Didi blames Centre

Says She Did Not Know What Saradha Was Up To Till 3 Months Ago

Kolkata: When chief minister Mamata Banerjee decided to speak on the Saradha Group bust on Monday, it was a great opportunity to soothe the lakhs of families ruined by the alleged scam. They would have expected words of hope. Or just kind words. But what they saw was a CM on the counter-attack. And what they heard was a strong defence of her partymen, some of whom had links with Saradha, and a strident onslaught on the CPM and the Centre for the mess.

Mamata said her government did not have a clue about the money laundering crisis until a letter from the Sebi, with a CBI report, reached Bidhannagar police after April 15. She blamed the CPM for drafting a weak anti-chit-fund bill and the Centre for not using its powers to stop Saradha from taking money from people.

The CM announced a double-pronged probe — by a special investigation team under the DGP and an inquiry commission under Justice (retd) Shyamal Sen.

Mamata repeatedly claimed that the state government cannot take action on its own because of a “flaw” during the Left regime. “Little can be done unless the Centre sends back the bill that the Left Front government had sent for Presidential consent in 2003,” the CM said.

The CM lost her cool when asked about the role of some Trinamool MPs. “One can’t blame people who worked for the company. The CPM is raising this issue but I have details of how many Page 1 advertisements Ganashakti received from this company. They got the most advertisements,” she said.

She also claimed that she was not aware of what the Saradha Group was up to till about three months ago.

TMC hand-in-glove with group companies: CPM
New Delhi:In search of issues to put the Trinamool government on the mat, the CPM on Monday said the ruling party in West Bengal is hand-in-glove with chit-fund companies that have looted the poor people and caused a huge crisis in the state.

The CPM said it has been warning the Centre for long about the impending crisis. Sitaram Yechury said a delegation of Left MPs had met the PM last December and apprised him of the situation.Basudeb Acharia, CPM leader in the LS, said most of the chit-fund companies have close relations with the TMC. He said that the brand ambassador of the Saradha Group was a Trinamool MP. TNN
Courtesy:
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
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Sebi contradicts Bengal, says Saradha under lens since 2010

Regulator has banned group CMD from accessing the capital markets till money realised so far is refunded to the investors.

In a startling series of disclosures in the Saradha Realty case, market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) has disclosed that the company was under investigation since 2010, contradicting the claim of the state government.

The company was under the investigation of Sebi since April 23, 2010, when the director, Economic Offences Investigation Cell of the Government of West Bengal had sent a formal complaint. Over the weekend, state chief minister Mamata Banerjee had said she was unaware that Saradha was under any investigation.

The letter from the state government office informed Sebi that Saradha Realty India Ltd "is collecting contributions of monies from the public particularly in rural areas of the state of West Bengal". The regulator revealed the details on Tuesday in its order banning Saradha chief Sudipta Sen from accessing the capital markets till the money realised so far is refunded to the investors. In the order issued by Sebi whole-time member Rajiv Agarwal, the regulator has said unless the money is refunded and the details approved by it West Bengal government will be approached to register cases against Saradha Realty India and its directors (which includes Sen) for apparent offences of fraud, cheating, criminal breach of trust and misappropriation of public funds.

Despite Sebi's instructions, Sen has repeatedly sent cartons of papers that the regulator noted was "a strategy to avoid submitting the specific information". In another communication to Sebi, Sen also claimed his company is unable to refund money to investors since its data is stored in servers at Boston, USA, and "is under the control of staff members and brokers".

Sen made the surprising claim earlier this month in a letter denying the accusation that it is running a collective investment scheme without any permission. Instead the company has contended "it is unable to locate the actual investors and identify the money due to the acts of unscrupulous staff members and brokers" who have taken control of the server at Boston.

The company repeatedly denied it ran an investment scheme claiming instead that it was realty firm. Sebi member Agarwal's order shows the company was unable to prove this at all and has passed the order accordingly.

Cracking down
Saradha Realty was under investigation since April 23, 2010, when the director, Economic Offences Investigation Cell of West Bengal had sent a complaint

Recently, state chief minister Mamata Banerjee had said she was unaware that Saradha was under any investigation
Courtesy:
ENS Economic Bureau : New Delhi, Wed Apr 24 2013, 02:15 hrs
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/sebi-contradicts-bengal-says-saradha-under-lens-since-2010/1106862/0

Agusta Westland Chopper SCAM: India named affected party, may get evidence from Italy

With India being named as an affected party by Italian prosecutors who have moved court for a fast track trial in the VVIP chopper deal kickbacks scandal, the CBI is likely to soon get hold of key evidence that Italian investigators have used to allege that bribes worth 51 million euros were paid to facilitate the contract.

Italian prosecutors, who have been investigating the case since late 2011, moved the court on Tuesday for an immediate trial of former CEO of Finmeccanica Giuseppe Orsi, who has emerged as the key accused in the bribery scandal.

It is learnt that the Indian government has been listed as an affected party in the case by the prosecutors and if the court agrees to this, several thousand pages of crucial evidence could be made available to India, as per Italian law.

The Indian embassy in Rome would be the nodal agency with which the information would be shared. As per Italian law, all affected parties, including the accused, have to be given access to the investigation material before the trial commences.

It is also believed that the fast track trial that has been demanded by the prosecutors, doing away with the need for a preliminary hearing into the case, indicates that a strong case exists against both Orsi and Bruno Spagnolini, who was till recently the CEO of AgustaWestland. Both have been accused of facilitating the generation of bribes in the Rs 3,546-crore deal with India for 12 VVIP helicopters that was inked in 2010.

Once the trial starts in a few days, the information will be made available to all the parties concerned, giving the CBI more evidence to tie up its own case that has been registered in the matter. The CBI has named former Air Chief SP Tyagi among others as key accused in facilitating the contract for AgustaWestland by tweaking technical requirements. The bank accounts of all Indian individuals and companies named in a CBI FIR were recently frozen by investigators.

In its reaction to the development, AgustaWestland said that it is "unable to comment directly on the ongoing investigation" but stressed that "none of the allegations have yet been tested in court".

The company also issued a statement that it has formally sought "bilateral discussions with the Ministry of Defence" on the VVIP chopper deal, saying that such a discussion is a "legal obligation under the contract". The company said that it is yet to get any response.
Courtesy:
Manu Pubby : New Delhi, Thu May 02 2013, 00:53 hrs
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/india-named-affected-party-may-get-evidence-from-italy/1110293/0

Sardha Scam: Kolkata chit fund scam singes Odisha‏

Bhubaneswar/Kolkata: The virtual collapse of the Kolkata based chit-fund company, Saradha group, which has interests in fields like realty, education and media, among others, have rattled both West Bengal and Balasore district of Odisha in particular, as one of directors of the company was arrested on Saturday.

Citizens took to the streets across West Bengal, agitating against the chit fund institution after they failed to get back their invested money.

Irate mob, comprising investors and agents of the company, ransacked the offices of the Saradha group in several districts across the state. The protests even led to clashes with the police in some areas.

In Durgapur, an agent of Saradha named Yadav Majhi, committed suicide allegedly after he came under depositors’ ire to return their money.

One of the directors of the chit fund company Manoj Kumar Nagel was arrested on Saturday while it’s Chairman and Managing Director Sudipta Sen is still on the run.

The group’s connection with Trinamool Congress became evident after the party’s Rajya Sabha member, Kunal Ghosh, was appointed by Sen as CEO of one if his Group of Companies.

West Bengal government has already ordered Mr Sen’s arrest.

Pressure on its finances recently forced the group to wind up at least 10 media organisations, including newspapers and television channels it had launched or acquired since 2010-11.
Courtesy:
ORB April 21, 2013
http://www.odishareporter.in/top_news/kolkata-based-chit-fund-company-saradha-group-scam-singes-odisha

Saradha Scam: Another Saradha depositor commits suicide

A money collection agent, who had deposited his personal savings of about Rs 4 lakh with the scam-ridden chit fund company Saradha Group, today committed suicide here in Purulia district, police said.

Swapan Kumar Biswas, 36, was found hanging from the ceiling in house at Balrampur, 50 km from Purulia town.

Police said he had deposited Rs 4 lakh from his personal savings in the Saradha group and was under severe distress after the news about the scam spread.
Courtesy:
PTI : Purulia (WB), Sat Apr 27 2013, 18:45 hrs
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/another-saradha-depositor-commits-suicide/1108517/

Centre, Bengal trade charges on reining in Ponzi schemes

No state government has enacted the model rules circulated by the finance ministry to ban chit funds, despite the lapse of six months. The rules are meant to coordinate penal action across India against promoters of Ponzi schemes, but it has not been acted upon. Corporate affairs minister Sachin Pilot told Parliament on Monday that he has sent reminders to the state chief ministers to get going on the subject.

The minister was responding to the allegations made against several primarily West Bengal based money circulation schemes that have collapsed recently. Of these the most prominent one is allegedly Saradha Group. However, state chief minister Mamata Banerjee claimed it is the Centre's responsibility to fix the problem.

The Prize Chits and Money Circulation Schemes (Banning) Act 1978 is a Central act but since the issues fall under the purview of states it is administered by them. She also announced an inquiry and a SIT probe into the collapse of chit fund company.

Banerjee claimed her government has asked the Centre to approve a bill on the subject forwarded by the former Left Front government in the state in 2009. "If it is returned within 24 hours, then our government will immediately promulgate the ordinance to that effect," she said. According to her the bill that the Left Front government had proposed had flaws which allowed the chit fund business to mushroom.

One of the key employees of Saradha Group till last year is now a Rajya Sabha MP from her party, Kunal Ghosh.

In New Delhi, Pilot said the Centre will pitch for heavier surveillance through the RBI along with awareness campaigns for spreading public awareness about such fraudulent entities through bulk SMSes, TV tickers and messages on post office passbooks. A joint campaign with market regulator Sebi is also being explored, he said.

After the case of alleged fraud by Singapore-based SpeakAsia Online, the government started the process of reining in companies which offered impossibly high returns in a short span or offered huge benefits for enrolling more subscribers.

Cheat funds
The ministry of corporate affairs has started programmes to spread awareness on fraudulent entities through SMS, TV and Post Office passbooks

A joint campaign with the Securities and Exchange Board of India is also being explored

A letter has also been written to finance minister P Chidambaram asking for increasing surveillance by the RBI over unauthorised non-banking finance companies
Courtesy:
ENS Economic Bureau : New Delhi, Tue Apr 23 2013, 00:41 hrs
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/centre-bengal-trade-charges-on-reining-in-ponzi-schemes/1106219/0

Fodder Scam: SC stays transfer of scam probe officers

Three months after CBI Director Ranjit Sinha ordered the transfer of four investigating officers in the Bihar fodder scam cases, the agency has had to annul the orders as the Supreme Court stayed the decision.

A Bench headed by Justice G S Singhvi stayed the decision after hearing a petition filed by JD(U) MP Rajiv Ranjan Singh on April 29. This has raised many eyebrows in the agency as Sinha was closely involved in the scam's investigation during his tenure as the DIG.

However, the CBI has stated that the four DSPs rank officers — Ashesh Kumar, Dasrath Murmoo, B K Singh and A K Jha — were transferred after they completed their tenure, and the transfers were done with the permission from the Jharkhand High Court.

The CBI cited 2009 administrative rules according to which for any officer from the rank of sub inspector to Additional SP, the maximum tenure could be six years in one branch and 12 years in one station or zone. When contacted, an agency's spokesperson said: "We are awaiting formal

orders from the SC after which appropriate action will be taken." The SC has asked the CBI to reply by July 2.

The agency had approached the HC, which is monitoring the probe, in February, and an order was passed in March allowing the CBI to transfer the officers. Earlier, the HC had asked the CBI not to transfer officers or change counsel without first obtaining its order. In February, the agency submitted an affidavit before the HC stating that the officers will be made available during the trial, if required.

Soon after the SC order, two of the officers, who were transferred to Bangalore and Nagpur respectively, were directed to resume their duties in Ranchi while the transfer of two others was annulled.

JD(U) MP Rajiv Ranjan Singh said: "There was no need for the CBI to transfer the officers. The case involving former Bihar chief minister Lalu Prasad and others is in the final stages and transfer of key officers from Ranchi will mean a delay of few months as new officers will take time to study the case."

"The progress in fodder scam cases is very good, barring those against the main conspirators, including Lalu. Some of these officers are policemen who investigated the case since the beginning," he said. Sources said Sinha might have to do some explaining before the SC since all transfers in the rank of DSPs are done with approval of the CBI Director.
Courtesy:
VijaitaSingh , Rahul Tripathi : New Delhi, Thu May 02 2013, 00:53 hrs
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/sc-stays-transfer-of-scam-probe-officers/1110294/0#sthash.yVSeoesn.dpuf

Sahara India under EPFO scanner for payment defaults

Sahara India, which is already being investigated by market regulator Sebi, has now also come under the scanner of the provident fund department and is amongst the top defaulters of the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) in the country.

Five of the group firms including Sahara India Financial Corporation and the former Sahara Airlines are part of the top 50 companies in the country that have defaulted on depositing contributions to the Employees' Pension Fund on behalf of its employees.

Official data reveals that in total, the Subrata Roy-promoted group owes Rs 3,341.67 lakh to the EPFO as dues (see chart).

These largely relate to the Employees' Provident Fund (EPF) linked Employees' Pension Scheme.

Under the scheme, 8.33 per cent from the 24 per cent provident fund contributions (12 per cent as employees' share and 24 per cent of employer's share) are deposited.

According to the Employees' Provident Fund Act, it is a criminal offence for an employer to deduct but not deposit employees' provident fund and related contributions. In such cases, the EPFO can also seize property of the defaulter to recover dues and the defaulter can be charged under Sections 405 and 420 of the Indian Penal Code.

Significantly, Sahara India first came under the EPFO's radar after it published numerous advertisements in national newspapers that boasted of a 10 lakh plus workforce.

Following this, the provident fund department had asked the group to furnish details of its employees.

But the Lucknow headquartered group then approached the Allahabad High Court against the notice. It was however directed by the High Court earlier this year to submit all relevant details to the provident fund department.

More than one email from The Indian Express sent to Sahara got no response from the group.

Sahara is already under investigation the by market regulator Sebi in a refund case involving over Rs 24,000 crore it collected from over three crore investors.

The Securities Appellate Tribunal is understood to take up for hearing sometime this week an appeal by Subrata Roy against a Sebi order to freeze his assets, along with similar appeals filed by two Sahara group firms and three other directors.
Courtesy:
Surabhi : New Delhi, Mon Apr 22 2013, 09:20 hrs
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/sahara-india-under-epfo-scanner-for-payment-defaults/1105753/0

Agusta Westland Chopper SCAM: CAG finalizes audit report

New Delhi: Even before the UPA government could put out the fire over its alleged interference in the Coalgate investigation, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has come out with another report, scrutinizing the controversial Rs 3,500 crore AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal.

Sources said CAG Vinod Rai on Monday signed the final audit report on the purchase of 12 VVIP choppers from AgustaWestland, the UK-based subsidiary of Italian conglomerate Finmeccanica, and sent it to the President with a copy to the defence ministry for its tabling in the ongoing budget session. The scrutiny of the deal is part of CAG’s compliance audit of the Indian Air Force till 2012.

Sources said the federal auditor has looked into all allegations of irregularities in the deal in which an independent investigation in Italy alleged that payoffs of more than Rs 350 crore were made to some middlemen, including Indians.
Courtesy:
Pradeep Thakur TNN
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'निवेशकों को पोंजी स्कीम्स से बचाने में जुटा है सेबी' - सेबी चेयरमैन यूके सिन्हा

नई दिल्ली।। भारतीय प्रतिभूति और विनिमय बोर्ड (सेबी) के अध्यक्ष यूके सिन्हा ने आज कहा कि सेबी यह सुनिश्चित करने के लिए कड़ी मेहनत कर रहा है कि छोटे निवेशकों की बचत को कोई जोखिम न हो। यह बात उन्होंने पश्चिम बंगाल में कम समय में ज्यादा प्रॉफिट का लालच देने वाली (पोंजी) योजनाओं में लाखों निवेशकों से कथित ठगी के घटनाक्रम के बीच कही।

उन्होंने कहा, 'अपने क्षेत्राधिकार के दायरे में सेबी यह सुनिश्चित करने के लिए बेहद कड़ी मेहनत कर रहा है कि छोटे निवेशकों की बचत को कोई खतरा न हो।' सिन्हा ने हालांकि कहा कि सेबी की कुछ कानूनी सीमाएं हैं और वह खास कंपनियों से संबंधित खास मुद्दों पर टिप्पणी नहीं कर पाएंगे, क्योंकि खास मामलों में कुछ अदालती और अर्ध न्यायिक आदेश रहे हैं।

उन्होंने कहा, 'मैं हालांकि आप सबको आश्वस्त करना चाहूंगा कि हम अपने दायित्व के प्रति सतर्क हैं।'

वह कोलाकाता के शारदा समूह द्वारा निवेश योजनाओं के जरिए कथित धोखाधड़ी किए जाने के बारे में पूछे गए सवालों का जवाब दे रहे थे।

सिन्हा विश्व के प्रतिभूति नियामकों की वैश्विक इकाई आईओएससीओ की एशिया प्रशांत क्षेत्रीय समिति के यहां आयोजित एक सार्वजनिक सेमिनार में बोल रहे थे। उन्होंने कहा कि सरकार सभी तरह की सामूहिक निवेश योजनाओं के नियमन के लिए कानून बनाने पर गंभीरता से विचार कर रही है।

सेबी पहले ही सारदा रीयल्टी इंडिया को इसकी सभी सामूहिक योजनाओं को बंद करने और तीन महीने के भीतर निवेशकों का पैसा वापस करने का आदेश जारी कर चुका है। बाजार नियामक ने शारदा रीयल्टी इंडिया और इसके प्रबंध निदेशक सुदीप्त सेन को इसकी सभी सामूहिक निवेश योजनाओं के बंद होने तथा निवेशकों की पूरी राशि लौटाए जाने तक सभी प्रतिभूति बाजारों से प्रतिबंधित भी कर दिया है।

साभार:

भाषा | May 1, 2013, 03.21PM IST

http://navbharattimes.indiatimes.com/business/business-news/working-hard-to-save-small-investors-from-ponzi-schemes-sebi/businessarticleshow/19816504.cms

Scam-hit Lonavala is losing the plot

All infrastructure projects in Mumbai’s favourite getaway stalled after residents unearth Rs 1.5-cr scam
Trouble’s simmering in Lonavala, which has for long been a picturesque getaway for a majority of Mumbaikars, and where some of the city’s richest and the most glamorous boast of opulent holiday homes.

The hill station, famous for lush green ghats, waterfalls and ponds, sports a rough look these days, with heaps of garbage strewn all over its narrow lanes, and several pockets of stalled infrastructure projects.

For the past one year, no development project in Lonavala-Khandala has come through, and event he ongoing public amenities projects have been stalled, following a few scams that snowballed into a major political battle in the Lonavala Municipal Council.

Things have come to such a pass that for the past few months, the municipal council has been forced to return the grants released by the state and the Union governments, as there is nothing to show in the name of development.

Recently, the municipal council had to return Rs 75 crore that the Centre had sanctioned for the hill station under the Urban Infrastructure Development Scheme for Small and Medium Towns (UIDSSMT) Scheme, after the warring corporators failed to pass a resolution needed to accept the grant.

THE SCAM
The problems surfaced early this year, when the residents of Lonavala-Khandala came to know of a scam wherein a contractor was paid an advance of Rs 1.5 crore for a Rs 20 crore project to lay underground drainage system. The scam was unearthed after an activist, Jagannath Naidu, managed to get hold of the relevant documents under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, which revealed the contract was awarded in 2011 to a firm called Sunil Farm Engineering Company.

The firm was sanctioned the advance, allegedly by the Lonavala Municipal Council president, Surekha Jadhav from BJP, despite the council’s engineering department turning down the request, the residents said. A few months after the advance money was disbursed, the firm abandoned the project, and didn’t bother to repay the amount, the residents said.

“The contractor simply vanished,” Naidu said, “Going through the contract documents, I was shocked to see that he was issued an advance without any legal provision for such payments.”

Following Naidu’s complaints to the state authorities, an inquiry revealed the firm had allegedly cheated other civic bodies as well. The bank guarantees provided by the firm for the Lonavala contract turned out to be fake, and the owners were arrested recently.

With the scam out in the open, politicians controlling the Lonavala Municipal Council played the blame game, resulting in the council being split down the middle.

A few corporators from Surekha Jadhav’s party joined the opposition ranks, while a few from the opposition crossed over to her side. Currently, Jadhav has the support of 11 corporators, while the opposition, has 13 corporators.

One of the reasons for the mess in the Lonavala Municipal Council is the new political alliances. “While the BJP-Sena combine has the majority, several of their corporators are now supporting the opposition. At the same time, a few Congress corporators have crossed over to the other side,” the source said.

WHY THE RS 75 CR GRANT HAD TO BE REFUSED
The Centre grant was sanctioned under the Urban Infrastructure Development Scheme for Small and Medium Towns (UIDSSMT) Scheme, which required the municipal council to pass a resolution.

Sources said to avail the grant, the state government and the Lonavala Municipal Council were required to contribute 10 per cent of the infrastructure projects costs. The resolution never went through, and the municipal council had no option but to return the grant, sources said.

Blaming her opponents for the troubles, Jadhav told Mumbai Mirror, “The allegations that I sanctioned an advance of Rs 1.5 crore to the contractor are just lies. All I did was sign a piece of paper which the administration had approved of. My political opponents have resorted to disgraceful tactics to remove me,and I will not bow down to such intimidation.”

While the political tug-of-war is on, the residents said the existing infrastructure too is on a decline. The Lonavala-Khandala Citizens’ Forum had filed a public interest litigation in the Bombay High Court more than six years ago, demanding better infrastructure, following which the court issued several directives to the state, most of which have not been followed.

Tanu Mehta, secretary of the citizens’ forum, said: “People are suffering because of political battles. There is a lot of land in Lonavala-Khandala that is under development but the infrastructure just doesn’t match up.”
Courtesy:
Yogesh.Sadhwani @timesgroup.com TWEETS @yogeshsadhwani
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Nerul builder held for selling 1 flat to many, hunt on for aide

Navi Mumbai: The Nerul police have arrested a 57-year-old builder for reportedly selling one flat to several buyers. An associate of the accused builder is also likely to be arrested soon.

Bhaskar Thevar had reportedly sold a flat in Leelatai Patil Apartment in Nerul Sector 27 to more than three parties, who have lodged complaints against him. Thevar will remain in police custody till April 26.

Thevar started the fraud when the building was in the construction stage, showing the flat to several people and selling it to them. The building is now complete and one family which bought the disputed flat has already occupied the premises.

“We will also soon arrest Thevar’s aide. They have been booked under the IPC sections 405 (criminal breach of trust), 415 (cheating), 418 (cheating with knowledge that wrongful loss may ensue to person whose interest offender is bound to protect), 420 (punishment for cheating and fraud), and 34 (crime committed with common intention),’’ said assistant police inspector AGosavi.

When asked how the accused could manage to sell the same flat to many, Gosavi said the accused had shown the flat to many parties, and then registered the property in their names at different registration offices in Navi Mumbai.

“We are investigating if officials from the registration offices are also involved. We are anticipating that more victims of this fraud will come forward to complain,’’ said the investigating officer.

Manohar Shroff, Navi Mumbai secretary of Maharashtra Chamber of Housing Industry (MCHI-CREDAI), said: “Such fraud builders are spoiling the name of the entire community of developers.’’

He added: “All seven property registration offices in Navi Mumbai should be computerized so that such frauds can be stopped.’’

Shroff also cautioned buyers, asking them to verify if the building in which they are looking to buy a flat has got a valid occupation certificate.
Courtesy:
Vijay Singh TNN
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Climb First SCAM: PAN-INDIA SWINDLE: Coaching class inquiry reveals 200 crore con

Mumbai: It started with a cheating complaint lodged last month by an IAS aspirant. It has now grown into an iceberg with 14 cases registered this month in the city, Thane, Navi Mumbai, Pune, Indore and Baroda against the director and employees of Climb First Education for duping
thousands of students across India of at least Rs 200 crore since 2011.

The police think the coaching class swindle may even cross the Rs 500-crore mark as the number of complaints is likely to rise across India.

The police said the accused made false promises of preparing students for entrance exams for civil services, management studies and higher education abroad. They said more than 11,000 students, including 1,100 from the city, were cheated.

Climb First Education director Manish Vargia (36), HR personnel Samuel Indgiri (26), manager Rohan Madiyar (27) and service provider Satyam Yadav (26) were arrested on March 28, by officers of the Powai police station after a complaint from Ghatkopar resident Mayur Chalke (22).

The four were also wanted by other police stations in the city and elsewhere. After their police custody got over on April 5, they were handed over to the Amboli police and then to the Azad Maidan police.

Now they are in the custody of the Pune police.

“The Ahmedabad police have alerting us that Vargia and his aides are wanted there in over a dozen cases,” assistant police inspector S N Bhandge of the Powai police station said. “They said the gang had duped over 11,000 students of anything between Rs 200 crore and Rs 500 crore.”
Courtesy:
V Narayan TNN
http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Scripting/ArticleWin.asp?From=Archive&Source=Page&Skin=TOINEW&BaseHref=TOIM/2013/04/25&PageLabel=8&EntityId=Ar00800&ViewMode=HTML

Now Navi Mumbai students fall prey to Climb First Education

The institute, now defunct, collected tuition fees in lakhs from students in Navi Mumbai and ran away. They are wanted by police in Azad Maidan, Borivli, D.N. Nagar and Pune

A coaching institute in Navi Mumbai which used to prepare students for entrance examinations suddenly packed up and closed one day without informing their students, leaving them stranded after having paid a huge fees.

Vashi police will soon take into custody four management level officials of Climb First Education, a now defunct institute, for having duped at least 13 students from Navi Mumbai.

The four accused, who were earlier arrested by the Powai police, have been booked by the Vashi police for promising to prepare students to write entrance exams for civil services, management studies and higher education abroad, but disappearing after collecting the fees. At present, 13 students have approached the police, but the number is expected to rise.

“We booked four persons from Climb First Foundation when Rakesh Roy, victim and resident of Kharghar, registered a complaint after the Vashi branch of the institute closed in the first week of April without prior notice. The four accused are currently in Powai police custody for a similar incident in Mumbai,” said a Vashi police official yesterday.

He added that once the investigation of the Powai police is complete, the Vashi police would take them into custody. The institute had opened a branch at Vashi railway station complex where, according to nearby offices, some five to ten students come every day to check if the institute is opened or not.

“Students come and ask the whereabouts of the officials of the institute and say that they have paid huge sum of money and the institute is closed,” said a security guard stationed next to the institute’s office.

The four accused have been identified as Manish Vargia (36), director of Climb First Foundation; Samuel Indgiri (26), HR personnel; Rohan Madiyar (27), Manager; and Satyam Yadav (26), service provider and have been booked under sections 403, 420 and 34 of the IPC by the Vashi police.

According to the police, the four accused are also wanted by the police in Azad Maidan, Borivli, D.N. Nagar and Pune. The police said that the gang, which advertised through social networking sites and phone-a-dial services, allegedly took Rs.30,000 to Rs.95,000 from each student for admissions.

“I have paid Rs.80,000 for civil services preparations and I have not even attended two weeks’ classes and the institute is closed. They promised, before admission, that senior IPS officers would give lectures,” laments a student.
Courtesy:
Friday, April 26, 2013
By Amit Srivastav
http://www.afternoondc.in/city-news/now-navi-mumbai-students-fall-prey-to-climb-first-education/article_81186 

Iron Ore Scam: Iron ore exporters cheat Railways of 50,000 crore

The Railways may have been defrauded of as much as Rs 50,000 crore by iron ore exporters claiming domestic tariff on consignments meant for export.

NEW DELHI: Total recoveries for the railways from the organized fraud perpetuated by numerous iron ore exporters by showing exports as domestic consumption could be as high as Rs 50,000 crore, according to documents, sources and an ongoing multi-agency investigation. In 2012-13, estimated losses for the railways are pegged Rs 24,600 crore.

On the orders of the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC), a multi-disciplinary agency comprising CBI, Customs and other investigative wings, are investigating in eastern India, and have unearthed fraud perpetuated by over a dozen iron ore exporters that has resulted in a loss of over a thousand crore to railways.

An interim report a few months ago had said that of the 10 companies examined nine had indulged in claiming the subsidized railway freight rates by misrepresenting exports as movement for domestic consumption. The investigation began initially against Kolkata-based Rashmi group, which was accused of duping railways of almost Rs 700 crore by transporting iron ore meant for export at domestic freight rates. Noticeably, even after it was served notices, the group is alleged to have continued with its `illegal activities' in 2011-12, resulting in a loss of another Rs 202 crore to the railways, official documents show.

Exporters like Rashmi group have claimed that they were transporting iron ore for domestic consumption, and thus claimed massive concession in railway freight charges. If iron ore is being moved for domestic use freight charge per tonne is around Rs 300-Rs 400, where as it is over Rs 2,000 per tonne for exports.

According to ongoing investigations by the multi-agency probe and vigilance officials in various divisions of the railways, ever since it introduced the dynamic pricing in 2008 the losses suffered by railways runs into thousands of crores.

An ongoing audit by the CAG only in South Eastern Railway has detected Rs 4193.52 crore of revenue leakage. This audit was limited to five select loading points of the Chakradharpur Division. South East Railway alone has around 50 loading points. Another CAG audit report tabled in Parliament in 2011-12 on the East Coast Railway had disclosed that undue benefit of Rs 1795.5 1core to the iron ore exporters.

The chief vigilance officer of Southeast Railways has so far sent notices to several other companies for evasion running into over Rs 1,000 crore, sources said.

A special court officer appointed in 2011 to supervise the movement of iron ore by Rashmi group after the evasion came to light, has complained in a report to the court that he was shown not records by the company, nor did the group respond to his letters.

In 2010-11, railways earned Rs 9,011 crore by transporting 118.4 million tonnes of iron ore. Of this, iron ore for integrated steel plants within India was 44.67 million tonnes, and it earned railways Rs 1,359 crore. Strangely, iron ore for other domestic users was 48 million tonnes, earning railways Rs 2,668 crore. Hence, smaller domestic users, mostly sponge iron plants, have ended up using more than integrated steel plants such as that of SAIL, Tatas and Jindal.

In contrast, the total iron ore export during 2010-11 was 25 million tonnes. But because the freight charge for exports is several times more, railways got Rs 4,983 crore revenue.

According to sources involved in the investigations, against a domestic requirement of 30 million tonnes for smaller users railways records show that there was transportation of 48 million tonnes in 2010-11. This calculation is based on the presumption that entire iron ore is being transported by train, whereas there is a segment moving by road.

So at least 18-million-tonne iron ore was transported in the name of domestic consumption, but found its way into foreign countries, mostly China. At an average of Rs 200 crore revenue for every million tonne of export, the total loss is Rs 3,600 crore in 2010-11. This trend has been on since 2008, when the dynamic pricing was introduced.

Besides the losses, a penalty is recoverable at four times the loss, according to the dynamic pricing mechanism. So the annual revenue gain for railways works out to around Rs 18,000 crore. Calculating the revenue gain from May 22, 2008, sources are arguing that till 2012 the total revenue gain for the railways could be over Rs 50,000 crore. That is, if the law is implemented in letter and spirit.
Courtesy:
Josy Joseph, TNN | Apr 25, 2013, 05.11 AM IST
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Iron-ore-exporters-cheat-Railways-of-50000-crore/articleshow/19718806.cms

BIDDING ‘TWEAKED’ : Goa highway repair tenders cancelled : Plea Filed In High Court Alleges Fraud

Mumbai: The state government cancelled two tenders, worth Rs 13 crore, awarded recently for road repairs on the Mumbai-Goa highway after a petition filed in the Bombay high court (HC) alleged fraud and nexus in the bidding process.

The state assured the court on Monday that it had decided to invite fresh bids after a division bench made its intention clear that it would pass interim orders in the petition, which alleged that P S Mandpe, chief engineer (national highway), public works department, had tweaked conditions in the bidding to favour the successful bidder.

Manisha Constructions, from Ratnagiri which has been undertaking highway projects for almost three decades and was one of the bidders, moved the HC to expose the alleged nexus between the chief engineer and the winning bidder, Dayanand Pote, also from Ratnagiri. The state had issued tenders in December 2012 for repairs along 26 km in two stretches between Panvel-Mahad and Panjim on the highway.

Advocate Naveen Chomal, the petitioner’s counsel, submitted in court that Mandpe lowered the eligibility criteria, postponed submission dates and bypassed the crucial document scrutiny process, which helped Pote. The petition said Mandpe opened the bid documents (technical and financial) in his office in Navi Mumbai, instead of letting the executive engineer to do
it, as required, in Ratnagiri. The petition challenged Mandpe’s January 31, 2013 order to an executive engineer to allot work to Pote.

The petition also alleged that Pote had submitted forged documents to claim eligibility when it had hardly any experience in undertaking such projects. Senior counsel S G Aney, who appeared for Pote, argued that the documents were “uploaded by mistake’’ and said that since Pote had completed work worth Rs 60 lakh, he should be allowed to complete it “in public interest’’.
Courtesy:
Swati Deshpande TNN
http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Scripting/ArticleWin.asp?From=Archive&Source=Page&Skin=TOINEW&BaseHref=TOIM/2013/04/24&PageLabel=7&EntityId=Ar00701&ViewMode=HTML

Agusta Westland Chopper SCAM: Bank accounts of ex-IAF chief Tyagi, others frozen

New Delhi:The CBI has frozen bank accounts of former IAF chief S P Tyagi and other Indians named as accused for allegedly receiving kickbacks in the Rs 3,600 crore VVIP helicopter deal. Sources said on Tuesday that “certain bank accounts of all the Indian accused” named in the FIR had been frozen.

Bank accounts of Indian companies named in the alleged scam — Aeromatrix Info Solutions Pvt Ltd and IDS Infotech — have already been frozen by the agency.

Sources said bank accounts of Tyagi’s cousins — Sanjeev alias Julie, Rajeev alias Docsa and Sandeep — were frozen as part of the investigation. Other Indians named in the FIR, whose accounts were frozen, include former Union minister Santosh Bagrodia’s brother Satish Bagrodia, who is also chairman of IDS Infotech, the company’s managing director Pratap Aggarwal, Aeromatrix CEO Praveen Bakshi and legal advisor Gautam Khaitan, sources said.

CBI has booked all the accused under provisions of the IPC relating to cheating and criminal conspiracy and the Prevention of Corruption Act. Tyagi is the first IAF chief to be named in a corruption or criminal case by the CBI.

The agency has alleged that during his tenure as IAF chief, Tyagi, and “with his approval” the IAF, “conceded to reduce the service ceiling for VVIP helicopters from 6,000 metres to 4,500 metres”.

“Haschke Guido and Gerosa Carlo (middlemen) managed to send €5.6 million through Mohali-based IDS Infotech and Chandigarh-based Aeromatrix Info Solutions Pvt Ltd to India and kept the remaining amount, out of about €24.30 million received from AgustaWestland, with themselves in the account of IDS Tunisia,” the FIR said.
Courtesy:
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Scripting/ArticleWin.asp?From=Archive&Source=Page&Skin=TOINEW&BaseHref=TOIM/2013/04/24&PageLabel=15&EntityId=Ar01501&ViewMode=HTML

Garden illegally scrapped, its FSI given to VIP societies: Activists

Mumbai: New violations have surfaced at two Worli housing societies that are home to top politicians, with activists saying a public garden was de-reserved to increase floors without requisite permissions from the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA) and the civic body.

The Sukhada and Shubhada societies are already in the spotlight for notices sent by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to some residents, from deputy CM Ajit Pawar to BJP leader Gopinath Munde, for illegal alterations and conversion of shops into offices and gyms.

In the garden case, the BMC had repeatedly requested the urban development department not to go for deletion of the open space reservation. TOI has a copy of the resolution passed by the BMC improvements committee on November 5, 2001, where it stated that the modification would serve no public purpose and would be beneficial only to the developers of adjoining plots.

Despite the objections, the state government agreed to dereserve the garden plot and transfer the floor space index (FSI) to a residential zone.

In a reply to an RTI application filed by activist Amit Maru, it was learnt that the deputy chief engineer of development plan wrote to the secretary of urban development department in 2001, that the land belonged to the estate department of the BMC and the public garden reservation could not be deleted. If deleted, the land could be merged with the adjoining plot only with BMC sanction.

“It was also noted that the land falls within 500 metres of the high tide line and thus is affected with the CRZ notification of 1991,” Maru said. “This is a clear case of corruption and land-grab by politicians. An inquiry should be initiated by the municipal commissioner and the officer hand in glove with politicians should be prosecuted under the Prevention of Corruption Act.”

Lawyer and former IPS officer Y P Singh had filed a legal notice on July 19 last year to the MCZMA chairperson and additional chief secretary, urban development department, stating that there was an illegal FSI grant to the societies.

“Under the CRZ notification there can’t be any change in user or deletion of garden reservation in the CRZ,” he said. “The FSI of a plot can’t be more than what it was on February 19, 1991, the date of CRZ notification. They de-reserved the garden plot and moved its FSI to the neighbouring plot. This was done without permission from the MCZMA and the MoEF.”
Courtesy:
Linah Baliga TNN
http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Scripting/ArticleWin.asp?From=Archive&Source=Page&Skin=TOINEW&BaseHref=TOIM/2013/04/24&PageLabel=6&EntityId=Ar00602&ViewMode=HTML

BANKER’S TRUST REALTIME | Four lessons from Sebi-Sahara spat

What should Sebi do to get to the bottom of Sahara case?
India’s apex court has once again expressed its unhappiness with Subrata Roy’s Sahara India Pariwar, a Lucknow-based conglomerate that has at least 4,100 establishments in its fold and Rs.1.18 trillion in assets spread across real estate, infrastructure, media, hospitality, sports and finance. “You are manipulating courts,” a Supreme Court bench, consisting of judges K.S. Radhakrishnan and J.S. Khehar, said on Monday in reference to the group approaching different forums for relief in a legal battle with the stock market regulator. The bench wanted to know why Sahara was refunding money directly to investors and not routing it through the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi), as has been directed by the court.

The group claims that Sahara India Real Estate Corp. Ltd (SIRECL) and Sahara Housing Investment Corp. Ltd (SHICL) have already paid back some Rs.19,000 crore to investors who purchased securities sold by the two firms. Instead of providing a list of people who have received their refunds, the group has been filing appeals in various courts. Sebi wants a few directors of these two companies, including Roy, detained for delaying the refunds.

In August 2012, Radhakrishnan and Khehar asked Sahara to pay back Rs.24,000 crore and directed a retired Supreme Court judge, B.N. Agarwal, to oversee the process. Since then, Sebi has been struggling to get the investors’ money back.

What should it do to get to the bottom of the case which, according to Sebi counsel Arvind Datar, keeps getting “curiouser and curiouser”?

First, it can ask Sahara to provide the list of the top 1% or 5% of investors in the bonds sold by SIRECL and SHICL. Typically, the top 1-5% “creamy layer” of investors account for 20-25% of the money invested. This will make life easier for Sebi and also Sahara as it won’t have to send truckloads of documents to the regulator.

Second, Sebi can also look at the concentration of the investor base. If it can locate five geographical pockets, it would become easier to get a fix on the investors as Nandan Nilekani’s Aadhaar unique identity number project can do the rest of the job.

Finally, Sebi could ask Roy from which banks he withdrew the money to pay investors. He may have been paying cash but certainly he cannot keep Rs.19,000 crore in gunny bags at home or in the Sahara offices. In other words, had he indeed paid Rs.19,000 crore to the bond investors, he would have withdrawn that money from the banking system.

Sebi has been following the directives of the Supreme Court diligently but it lacks the acumen to deal with Roy.

How could Roy find himself in such a situation? The Sahara chief refused to give information to Sebi and thought he could get away with it, but now the apex court is seeking the same details from him. Had he provided the information to Sebi, he would not have found himself in such a mess.

It may or may not be the end game for Roy but many lessons can be learnt from the Sebi-Sahara spat.

First, it’s a vindication of the independence of the judiciary. In this case, justice may have been delayed but definitely not denied. The Supreme Court has demonstrated that politicians cannot shield a businessman for ever.

Second, it’s a lesson for the Indian financial system on its loopholes and how any smart entrepreneur can use regulatory arbitraging to his advantage.

Third, if indeed the two Sahara group firms had 30 million investors in their bonds, the Indian financial system can learn lessons in financial inclusion from Roy. The total number of demat accounts in India is about 20 million.

Finally, if Sahara fails to furnish the correct list of investors, the money for which there are no takers will flow into the government’s consolidated fund for investor education. That will deal a blow to Roy’s business model.

Note: Sahara has filed a defamation case in a Patna court against Mint’s editor and some reporters over the newspaper’s coverage of the company’s disputes with Sebi. Mint is contesting the case.

Banker’s Trust Realtime is a frequent blog by Tamal Bandyopadhyay, who writes a popular weekly column Banker’s Trust.
Courtesy:
Tamal Bandyopadhyay
First Published: Tue, Apr 23 2013. 01 34 PM IST
First Published: Tue, Apr 23 2013. 01 34 PM IST
http://www.livemint.com/Opinion/XYjUISOXNEpopbydhzSOpN/BANKERS-TRUST-REALTIME--Four-lessons-from-SebiSahara-spat.html

भूखंड घोटालों का नोएडा-1

लीज बैक घोटाला 3,800 करोड़ का

दिसंबर 2012 में नोएडा के घोटालों की सूची में 3,800 करोड़ रुपए का एक और मामला जुड़ गया। लीज बैक के नाम पर 2011 में हुए घोटाले में तीन लाख 81 हजार वर्ग मीटर से अधिक जमीन नियम दरकिनार कर बाहरी लोगों समेत तीन निजी कंपनियों के नाम की गईं। विभागीय जांच में पता चला कि गांव के गैर-निवासी व निजी कंपनियों को 175 वर्गमीटर से 15,340 वर्गमीटर के भूखंडों की लीज बैक की गई। एक्सप्रेस-वे पर शाहदरा गांव के पास से सटे सेक्टर 140 ए, 141, 142 व 143 की स्थित जमीन को लीज बैक नियमों का उल्लंघन करने के मामले में इस मामले में नोएडा अथॉरिटी के तत्कालीन सचिव हरीश चंद्र, तहसीलदार अजय श्रीवास्तव और नायब तहसीलदार मनोज कुमार आरोपी हैं।

क्या है लीज बैक

प्राधिकरण के अधिसूचित क्षेत्र में किसानों की जमीन कई बार बिना सर्वेक्षण किए सिर्फ कागजों पर अफसरान अधिगृहीत करते हैं। अधिग्रहण की धारा - चार के मुताबिक अधिगृहीत जमीन पर पहले से अगर आबादी है या दस्तावेजों में आबादी दर्ज है तो इसे प्राधिकरण वापस किसान को देता है। जमीन की यही लीज वापसी की प्रक्रिया लीज बैक कहलाती है।  

लीज बैक के नियमों का अफसरान ने किया कुछ इस तरह से उल्लंघन जिससे कि गांव के किसान बिना एक पैसा मुआवजा पाए ही अपनी जमीनों से बेदखल हो गए थे। कायदे से तो गांव के किसानों के नाम ही लीज बैक होनी थी। गांव के बाहरी लोगों को लीज बैक नहीं हो सकती है। लीज बैक में किसानों के एक परिवार के नाम पर अधिकतम 450 वर्ग मीटर जमीन दी जा सकती है। लेकिन सच तो यह है कि कुछ बाहरी लोगों और तीन निजी कंपनियों के नाम एकमुश्त लीज बैक की गई, जिससे उन्होंने करोड़ों रुपए के वारे-न्यारे कर लिए थे।

ऐसे हुआ लीज बैक घोटाला

24 अप्रैल 2010 को जारी आदेश के तहत गठित दो समितियों ने जांच के बाद यह नहीं बताया कि कितनी जमीन की लीज बैक होगी। दोनों समितियों की रपट में यह तथ्य भी अफसरान ने छुपाया कि लीज बैक का लाभ निजी कंपनियों को होने वाला है। आबादी नियमावली के तीसरे संशोधन के प्रावधानों के आधार पर दोनों समितियों ने रपट में 12 सितंबर व 21 सितंबर 2011 को दी जबकि नियमावली में तीसरा संशोधन 18 नवंबर 2011 को हुआ था। लीज बैक की स्वीकृति देते हुए सात अक्टूबर 2011 को कंपनियों के पक्ष में लीज डीड भी हो गईं। डीएम व एसएसपी की अध्यक्षता वाली समिति ने लीज बैक के लिए की अनुशंसा का पालन नहीं किया। 

लीज बैक इस आधार पर की गई कि हाईकोर्ट से प्राधिकरण के खिलाफ मुकदमे हारने के बाद जमीन के मालिक किसानों ने सुप्रीम कोर्ट में विशेष रिट याचिका की थी, जिसमें प्राधिकरण के विरुद्ध आदेश होने की संभावना जताई गई थी। किसानों की 450 वर्ग मीटर तक के आबादी क्षेत्रफल को 30 जून 2011 तक के निर्माण के आधार पर नियमित करने की व्यवस्था है लेकिन गांव शाहदरा के अनिवासी और निजी कंपनियों को 175 मीटर से 15,340 वर्ग मीटर तक के भूखंडों की लीज बैक करने में अफसरान ने खुल कर नियमों का उल्लंघन किया। जो जमीन लीज बैक की, वहां पुरानी आबादी का कोई पक्का सबूत दस्तावेजों में नहीं है।  

12 सितंबर व 21 सितंबर 2011 को हुई दोनों समितियों की बैठक की कोई सूचना सदस्यों को नहीं भेजी थी, न ही मीटिंग एजेंडा दस्तावेजों में दिखता है। 12 सितंबर व 21 सितंबर 2011 की समिति बैठकों में एडीएम न तो आए थे, न हस्ताक्षर किए, जबकि चमत्कारिक रूप से समिति की बैठक के बाद तैयार मिनट्स में एडीएम उपस्थित दिखाए जाते हैं। 12 सितंबर 2011 की बैठक में चीफ आर्किटेक्ट एंड सिटी नियोजक नहीं आए थे, न हस्ताक्षर किए, लेकिन जब बैठक के मिनट्स सामने आए तो वे उपस्थित दिख रहे थे।

Coal Scam: Ahead of SC hearing, ASG Rawal says Vahanvati tried to influence CBI coal probe

In a major embarrassment to the government on the eve of the crucial Supreme Court hearing on its alleged bid to influence the CBI investigation of controversial coal blocks allotments, Additional Solicitor General Harin Rawal Monday accused Attorney General G E Vahanvati of trying to influence the CBI probe while making him a "scapegoat" in the case.

Read Express Editorial: CBI-law minister controversy frames a sobering pattern

Rawal wrote a letter to Vahanvati and marked a copy to Law Minister Ashwani Kumar, who is at the centre of the controversy.

Rawal's outburst comes amid indications that the government is unhappy with him for telling the court in March that the CBI's status report on the coal blocks allotments probe had not been shared with the political executive.

It also comes a day after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh held a meeting with Vahanvati to discuss the case. Rawal's own role is also under the scanner as he was present at the March 5 meeting — along with Vahanvati, CBI director Ranjit Sinha and other officials — called by the law minister and changes were apparently made in the report.

Read Maneesh Chhibber's column: Will Supreme Court use the opportunity to free it from government shackles?

Sources said the government has taken a dim view of the ASG writing a damning letter to the AG on the eve of such a crucial court hearing.

Vahanvati, when reached, refused to comment on the issue.

In his letter, Rawal has provided a detailed breakdown of the meeting last month where Kumar asked for changes to be made to the CBI report, presented to the Supreme Court days later. Rawal has also said he received an SMS from the Attorney General to come to the law minister's office with the status report.

Days after the meeting, Rawal, who is representing the CBI in court, told the Supreme Court unequivocally that the report had not been vetted by anyone in the political executive.

In his affidavit on the coal blocks allotment probe filed in the Supreme Court Friday, CBI director Sinha admitted the status report was shared with the law minister as well as PMO and coal ministry officials.

The Indian Express had first reported on April 13 that the CBI was inclined to inform the Supreme Court that the controversial probe status report had been vetted by the law minister.

Tuesday's hearing in the Supreme Court will be held before a changed bench consisting of Justices R M Lodha, Madan Lokur and Kurian Joseph, with Joseph replacing Justice J Chelameswar who was on the previous bench with Lodha and Lokur.
Courtesy:
Maneesh Chhibber : New Delhi, Tue Apr 30 2013, 09:57 hrs
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/ahead-of-sc-hearing-asg-rawal-says-vahanvati-tried-to-influence-cbi-coal-probe/1109542/0
Never interfered in CBI coal scam report: attorney general VahanvatiAttorney general GE Vahanvati on Wednesday issued a clarification over the letter sent by former additional solicitor general Harin Raval which accused him of having tried to influence the CBI probe in the coal blocks allocation scam, reports said.

According to Vahanvati he never interfered with CBI's report.

Raval, who appeared for the CBI on March 12 and told the Supreme Court that the agency was carrying out an independent probe, wrote the letter to the government's top law officer, Vahanvati.

Raval is learnt to have said in his letter that he was not willing to be made a scapegoat in the entire matter and Vahanvati was present in the meeting attended by the law minister and CBI director among others on March 5 in which the agency's draft report was allegedly changed.

In his letter, Raval is understood to have narrated how he got an SMS from AG to reach law minister Ashwani Kumar's office with the CBI status report.

The agency blamed Raval for "overstepping" his brief since he had said in the court that there was no political interference in the CBI's probe in the coal scam.

The Supreme Court had directed CBI director Ranjit Sinha to file an affidavit assuring that he had vetted the status report following Raval's statement.

Contacted for his response, Raval refused to confirm or deny his letter.

"When I was blamed nobody asked me, so why are you asking me now," he told HT.

Vahanvati could not be contacted for his response. Government sources said the spat between two of their senior law officers barely hours before the crucial hearing in the Supreme Court was not a welcome sign.

The court may ask the government to file an affidavit in response to the Sinha's revelation. It will also scrutinise the latest status report that the CBI says has not been shared with anybody in the government.
Courtesy:
Agencies  New Delhi, May 01, 2013
First Published: 19:46 IST(1/5/2013) | Last Updated: 19:55 IST(1/5/2013)
http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/NewDelhi/Never-interfered-in-CBI-coal-scam-report-attorney-general-Vahanvati/Article1-1053342.aspx