CBI gets nod to prosecute top cops

Police recruitment scam in Uttaranchal

Swati Vashishtha

Tribune News Service Dehra Dun, April 22

The state government has given a go ahead to the CBI to file a charge sheet against the two top IPS officials of Uttaranchal for their alleged involvement in the sub-inspectors recruitment scam over two years back. Confirming the sanction, Chief Minister ND Tiwari said the government was ascertaining the legal aspects for the further course of action based on the CBI report. The investigating agency had sought permission from the state government to prosecute the then DGP Prem Dutt Raturi and ADGP Rakesh Mittal through two separate letters sent to Chief Secretary R.S. Tolia and Secretary, Home, S.K. Das, official sources said. The letters stated that the two officers had allegedly conspired to tamper with the computer data carrying results of the written examination conducted in 2002. While 1973 batch IPS officer P.D. Raturi is posted as the DG (Rules and Manuals), Mr Mittal continues to serve as ADGP in the state after being suspended and reinstated following the scam. Over 25,000 candidates took the preliminary exam against 253 vacancies. Nearly 20 writ petitions were filed in the Uttaranchal High Court in Nainital following the written exam and an inquiry was ordered by the state government and later the CBI was handed over the case. After the preliminary inquiry the irregularities pointed at were ascertained. The appointments of six candidates were terminated. The CBI in its report gave a clean chit to the other officials accused in the scam, including DIGs AB Lal and Kaviraj Negi and IG Anil Raturi among others. The petitioners had alleged that in the recruitment process, which was far from being transparent, the merit was not disclosed. The names of the members of the interview board were made public two months in advance and one of the candidates was allotted 100 marks out of 75 in the interview, a petition stated. Nearly three years and two inquiries later the petitioners said the charge sheet was mere an eyewash and they were still awaiting justice. The petitioners have demanded that the appointments be quashed and a fresh examination be conducted.

GMs, DRMs to be responsible for accidents

Tripti Nath

Tribune News Service New Delhi, April 22

The Chairman Railway Board (CRB) has issued orders stating that the General Manager of the concerned zone or the Divisional Railway Manager would be held accountable for accidents caused due to negligence or technical defect. The order will be enforced with immediate effect. Sources said the CRB has also issued orders to the General Managers of all 16 zones to start a fortnight long safety drive for drivers and persons concerned with safety operations. The Chief Commissioner of Railway Safety, Mr J.P. Garg recently chaired a meeting of Commissioners of Railway Safety and Railway Board members. Chairman Railway Board, R.K. Singh told TNS "During the three -hour long meeting, we discussed the safety performance of the Railways in the last fiscal 2004-'-05 and plans for the future. We also reviewed matters related to safety of train operations." Meanwhile, the All-India Railwaymen's Federation (AIRF), the National Federation of Indian Railwaymen (NFIR), the Indian Railway Promotee Officers Federation (IRPOF), the Federation of Railway Officers Association (FROA and All-India RPF Association (AIRPFA) have condemned the attack on Railway Minister, Lalu Prasad Yadav by the Bajrang Dal, Rastriya Swayam Sewak Sangh and Vishwa Hindu Parishad activists and the total lawlessness that was seen during his visit to the state. The Delhi-based Jamiat-Ulama-i-Hind has said the Modi rule in Gujarat is like a 'Jungle Raj'. In a statement issued here, Abdul Hameed Naumani, Secretary, Publicity, has said Mr Narendra Modi does not have any moral right to continue in office. Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav is away to Bhabua near Patna to lay the foundation stone of a railway overbridge. He is expected to make an announcement on the railway accident in the Lok Sabha on Monday. Defending Mr Yadav, his loyalists said train journeys have become safer after Mr Yadav took over. "When Nitish Kumar was the Railway Minister, there were a spate of accidents.

DGP accused of victimising IAS officer

Ramesh Kandula

Tribune News Service Hyderabad, April 22

A case involving the state Director-General of Police (DGP) has turned out to be the battle between the IPS and the IAS wings and a source of embarrassment to the Congress government. DGP Swaranjit Sens alleged a cover-up operation to bail out his wife Anita Sen, who is facing cases in the child adoption racket, had sharply divided the IPS and the IAS camps in the state. What sparked off the clash was the police registering a case in Medak district against a senior IAS officer Shalini Mishra for her role as the Director of the Women and Child Welfare when the adoption scam broke out four years ago. Ms Mishra had undertaken a major crackdown on dubious child adoption agencies and was responsible for filing cases against several organisations, including Precious Moments, a city-based NGO run by Anita Sen, which was found to be involved in the racket. Barely three months after Mr Sen took charge, a twist was given to the case by filing an FIR against Ms Mishra under the SC, ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The case was based on a reported statement made by a tribal youth Lakshman who testified against the IAS official. Interestingly, Lakshman in the past had confessed to working as an agent to procure children from the tribal hamlets and sell them to the adoption agencies. However, later he denied this, saying his earlier statement was made under duress. The development was seen as an act of witch-hunt and not surprisingly the needle of suspicion pointed towards the DGP. Peeved over the move to victimise Ms Mishra, who is now the Special Commissioner of the State Housing Development Board, a group of senior IAS officers petitioned to the Chief Secretary, Mr Mohan Kanda, demanding that the DGP be reined in. The main Opposition TDP, the Left Parties and some women organisations have demanded action against the DGP, accusing him of vindictive action against those who were involved in investigation of the adoption racket. Even the Chief Minister, Mr Y. S. Rajaskehara Reddy is said to have found the role of the DGP in the whole episode very unbecoming of his position. Unfazed by the criticism, the DGP asserted that he had no role in the case nor was he interested in influencing the case involving his wife. I did not order filing any case against Ms Mishra. The FIR is based on a statement made by a tribal youth who says he was pressurised in the past, the DGP said amidst allegations that the youth was bribed and forced to make such a statement.