Check I-T report on Coalgate to unearth Sinha-Qureshi links: Bhushan to apex court
19 Sep 2014 12:20 AM GMT
In a fresh twist to the sordid saga involving CBI director Ranjit Sinha and his visitor’s logbook, lawyer-cum-activist Prashant Bhushan on Thursday claimed that the appraisal report of Income Tax (I-T) department on coal scam – based on the telephonic conversation between the top sleuth Sinha and alleged hawala operator Moin Qureshi – contains more sensational revelations.
Speaking to Millennium Post, Bhushan stressed that the report prepared by the IT department contains detailed information on some of the ‘financial leads’ exchanged between Sinha and Qureshi, which were unearthed on the basis of their communication through various channels.
‘I have requested the apex court to ask for a copy of the I-T report on Sinha’s link with Qureshi and urged the honorable judge to examine it. I have also filed a plea before the court because it is necessary for all of us to know the truth,’ Bhushan, who is also the leader of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), said.
Meanwhile, the CPIL, which levelled allegations against Sinha, has refused to reveal the name of the whistleblower who provided the documents citing security reasons. The NGO further told the apex court that allegations against CBI director can be verified by examining the documents and guards who had manned his official residence at 2 Janpath.
‘In the 2G matter, where the SC had asked me to disclose the names of the whistleblowers who had given me the information on the CBI files as well as regarding the entry register of the CBI director’s residence. In a meeting of the governing body of the CPIL, it was decided that the names of the whistleblowers cannot be disclosed,’ Bhushan said.
He said, ‘There are instances in history when whistleblowers were attacked or killed. Under such circumstances, we have decided not reveal the name and already a plea regarding the matter have been submitted before the court.’
It must be noted here that the Kanpur-based meat exporter Qureshi’s dubious activities and his connection with the people in the corridors of power including the former CBI chief were first reported by Millennium Post on 21 February, 2014. His alleged dubious activities came into limelight after I-T department conducted several raids at his offices and residence, which led to seizure of nearly Rs 6 crores in cash and other documents proving his proximity with prominent politicians as well as serving and retired bureaucrats. He had also transferred huge amount of money from Dubai to London, which was tipped off by British intelligence agencies to their counterparts in India.
Recently, Bhushan had urged the union government to seize Sinha’s cell phone and his personal hard discs to dig out more on his involvement with powerful people accused in several scams as a part of his ‘snug syndicate’ running for years. With serious charges now levelled against the CBI director and back to back plea against him in the Supreme Court by two NGOs (which have Bhushan as their lawyer) - Centre for Public Interest Litigation (CPIL) and Common Cause in 2G scam and Coalgate - informed sources said, a court monitored high level inquiry against him is likely to be ordered.
Sinha landed in fresh controversy after the visitors’ diary at Sinha’s residence revealed he met two top Reliance ADAG officials nearly 50 times in the last one year. It is also being charged that the visits coincided with Sinha’s alleged attempt to file an affidavit which sought to ‘defuse’ the charges against the company in the 2G scam. The CPIL in a petition filed before the Supreme Court on 2 September claimed that visitors’ entry register at Sinha’s residence is ‘very disturbing’ and contains ‘explosive material’ in 2G spectrum allocation scam against Reliance Telecom.
Speaking to Millennium Post, Bhushan stressed that the report prepared by the IT department contains detailed information on some of the ‘financial leads’ exchanged between Sinha and Qureshi, which were unearthed on the basis of their communication through various channels.
‘I have requested the apex court to ask for a copy of the I-T report on Sinha’s link with Qureshi and urged the honorable judge to examine it. I have also filed a plea before the court because it is necessary for all of us to know the truth,’ Bhushan, who is also the leader of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), said.
Meanwhile, the CPIL, which levelled allegations against Sinha, has refused to reveal the name of the whistleblower who provided the documents citing security reasons. The NGO further told the apex court that allegations against CBI director can be verified by examining the documents and guards who had manned his official residence at 2 Janpath.
‘In the 2G matter, where the SC had asked me to disclose the names of the whistleblowers who had given me the information on the CBI files as well as regarding the entry register of the CBI director’s residence. In a meeting of the governing body of the CPIL, it was decided that the names of the whistleblowers cannot be disclosed,’ Bhushan said.
He said, ‘There are instances in history when whistleblowers were attacked or killed. Under such circumstances, we have decided not reveal the name and already a plea regarding the matter have been submitted before the court.’
It must be noted here that the Kanpur-based meat exporter Qureshi’s dubious activities and his connection with the people in the corridors of power including the former CBI chief were first reported by Millennium Post on 21 February, 2014. His alleged dubious activities came into limelight after I-T department conducted several raids at his offices and residence, which led to seizure of nearly Rs 6 crores in cash and other documents proving his proximity with prominent politicians as well as serving and retired bureaucrats. He had also transferred huge amount of money from Dubai to London, which was tipped off by British intelligence agencies to their counterparts in India.
Recently, Bhushan had urged the union government to seize Sinha’s cell phone and his personal hard discs to dig out more on his involvement with powerful people accused in several scams as a part of his ‘snug syndicate’ running for years. With serious charges now levelled against the CBI director and back to back plea against him in the Supreme Court by two NGOs (which have Bhushan as their lawyer) - Centre for Public Interest Litigation (CPIL) and Common Cause in 2G scam and Coalgate - informed sources said, a court monitored high level inquiry against him is likely to be ordered.
Sinha landed in fresh controversy after the visitors’ diary at Sinha’s residence revealed he met two top Reliance ADAG officials nearly 50 times in the last one year. It is also being charged that the visits coincided with Sinha’s alleged attempt to file an affidavit which sought to ‘defuse’ the charges against the company in the 2G scam. The CPIL in a petition filed before the Supreme Court on 2 September claimed that visitors’ entry register at Sinha’s residence is ‘very disturbing’ and contains ‘explosive material’ in 2G spectrum allocation scam against Reliance Telecom.
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