Parliament set for 2G storm over NDA govt’s role

Stung by the CBI allegation that 2G spectrum allocation norms were violated during the NDA government’s tenure, the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) appear all set raise the issue in the Parliament on Friday.

The party while stressing that it had no issues with any investigations into the matter wondered why the probe agency had not found any evidence against UPA leaders Dayanidhi Maran and P Chidambaram in the issue.

The CBI had yesterday informed the Supreme Court in the 2G case hearing that it has found violation of norms by Arun Shourie and Pramod Mahajan, who were Telecom Ministers in the NDA government, and maintained that the role of then Finance Minister Jaswant Singh also needs to be examined.

"As far as BJP is concerned we are very clear that any investigation can be done during NDA regime as far as telecom allocation is concerned. We have ourselves said in Parliament that the 2G case can be investigated from 1998 itselfs. We are proud of the expansion of mobile and telephone connectivity during our regime and we have nothing to hide," BJP Chief spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad said.

However, he insisted that the role of UPA government, especially that of then Finance Minister P Chidambaram, former Telecom Minister Dayanidhi Maran and officials in the PMO should also be probed.

Haren Pandya murder: How CBI botched up probe

The high court bench, which on Monday acquitted all the 12 people who were convicted in the Haren Pandya murder case by the trial court, severely criticised the investigation in the case done by the CBI.

Criticising the investigating officers of the probe agency, the court raised several questions about the lack of effort shown by the officers to collect proper evidence. The bench said that the investigating officer had failed to collect vital evidence from the spot and had not examined Pandya's call records to know his last location and the details of his last phone calls.

The court also said that Pandya's shoes had mysteriously disappeared from the hospital. The shoes were important as they could have indicated whether he had actually gone for a morning walk on the fateful day, the court observed.

Raising serious questions about the spot where Pandya body was found, the court observed that no blood was found in Pandya's car except a negligible stain on the seat beside the driver's seat. On the other hand, his clothes bore tell-tale signs of profuse bleeding from injuries on the neck and forearm.

"His mobile phone and the keys which were lying on the floor of the car below the seat had stains of blood," the bench said.

"No effort was made to investigate the recent calls from
and to the phone, even to find out the time of [the murder] since Pandya had ceased to answer or open SMS messages," the court said.

The bench further observed that no fingerprints were lifted either from the car or from the weapon recovered afterwards.

"The shoes worn by Pandya on the fateful day could have provided some clue as to whether he had already walked in the garden. They were mysteriously missing from the hospital and it could not be known whether they had bloodstains on them. No proper map of the scene of offence was made, and the position of the eyewitnesses was not ascertained," the court said as it gave an account of the lapses in the CBI's investigation.

Criticising the lack of effort made by the probe agency, the court observed: "The investigation clearly appears to have been misdirected and blinkered and has left a lot to be desired."

CBI:Jagan conspired with YSR in granting favours

CBI has been conducting searches since yesterday in the residences and offices of Jagan apart from the houses and businesses of those who invested in his companies.

The FIR report filed by the CBI that the Kadapa MP conspired with his father the late YS Rajasekhara Reddy and other individuals and companies to "cheat the government of Andhra Pradesh in the matter of granting certain favours".

The FIR also alleges that Jagan exercised influence on YSR and other government officials, who issued orders favourable to many companies and that rules were flouted to allot licences for ports, SEZs in return of huge sums of money during 2004-2009.

In its FIR in the case related to Jagan, a copy of which was filed in a special court, the CBI charged that he "exercised his influence on his (late) father, then chief minister, and also "unknown public servants" of the state government, who in turn abused their official positions by corrupt or illegal means and issued orders favourable to many companies.

The charges relate to criminal conspiracy, cheating, criminal breach of trust, falsification of accounts and criminal misconduct, according to the FIR.

"As a quid pro quo, those companies, other unknown companies and unknown persons invested several crores of rupees in Jagati Publications, Sandur Power Company Limited, Carmel Asia Holdings, Bharathi Cement Corporation Ltd and other companies promoted by Jaganmohan Reddy at a huge premium," the CBI FIR said.

The agency filed the case against Jagan and others based on a directive of the Andhra Pradesh High Court that disposed of a petition filed by current Textile Minister P Shanker Rao, into which TDP leaders K Yerran Naidu and Yanamala Ramakrishnudu impleaded.

The 28-page FIR listed Jagan, now president of YSR Congress, as number one accused followed by V Vijay Sai Reddy, vice-chairman of Jagati Publications. In all, the FIR named 72 companies and individuals besides directors, promoters of unknown companies, unknown public servants of the state government and "unknown others" as accused in the case under IPC Sections 120 (B) read with 420, 409, 420 and 477 (A).

Mukesh Ambani's dream house 'Antilla' in trouble

Mukesh Ambani's 27-storey skyscraper,ultra luxury home that is worth nearly $ 2 billion in Antilla, may land in fresh trouble as the Maharashtra government is thinking of handing over the building's land dispute case to the CBI.

About eight months ago, the Centre advised the state government to let the agency investigate allegations that Ambani bought Wakf land, which is not permissible under law.The original owner, Karimbhai Ibrahimbhai Khoja Orphanage, a charitable trust, sold the land to Ambani's Antilla Commercial Private Limited in July 2002 for Rs21.5 crore much less than the prevailing market rate.

This Waqf land deal has sparked rows earlier, too. In 2007, then minority affairs minister Anish Ahmed had mentioned a number of irregularities in the sale of the land and had asked the Maharashtra State Waqf Board to take back the plot. However, in a curious development, while the minister kept claiming the sale was illegal, then chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh said there were no irregularities in the deal.

Incidentally, Ambani has still not started living in Antillia.

NRI seeks Rs 5000 crore compensation from CBI

The Delhi high court has asked the CBI to respond to an NRI's plea seeking compensation of Rs 5,000 crore for implicating him in a criminal case for 25 years.

Justice Ajit Bharihoke issued notice to the CBI and sought the reply by September 27 on N S Hoon's plea, which also seeks action against the erring officials of the investigating agency for harassing him for such a long time.

Seeking a compensation of Rs 5,000 crore, Hoon, who had acquired British citizenship, said the then senior officers of the probe agency had acted against him at the instance of some influential persons and they should be prosecuted as per law.

Hoon claimed he has undergone mental agony and physical sufferings in the past 25 years and he should be financially compensated.

He said the trial court had acquitted him from all the charges under the Foreigners Act in January.

According to CBI, Hoon had concealed his identity as a British citizen during his stay in two different hotels, during 1986-1987, which constituted an offence under the act.

The CBI alleged during his stay in Delhi's Ambassador Hotel, the petitioner had paid the hotel tariff of Rs 400, which he should have paid in British pounds for being the citizen of the UK.

According to the prosecution,he had also stayed at Hakman's hotel in Jaipur and cleared the hotel bills to the tune of Rs 8,000 in Indian rupees which constituted an offence under the Foreigners Act.

CBI rejects Balkrishna plea

The CBI has earlier issued a look-out notice against Yoga guru Ramdev's aide Balkrishna after registering a case against him under section 420 (cheating) and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of IPC for procuring fake degree and for violating section 12 of the Indian Passport Act.

Balkrishna today sought 20 days time to appear before the CBI. He has applied for a UK visa and his travel document is with that mission.

 CBI sources said, The agency rejected his plea and asked him to appear without the passport tomorrow for questioning.

The CBI had asked him to present himself for questioning today but sources in the agency said Balkrishna sent a fax in the morning, saying his passport is with the British High Commission for visa purposes and a reply from there was expected after about 20 days.

In his fax, Balkrishna said he was also consulting Supreme Court lawyer Ram Jethmalani and pleaded that any other date after 20 days may be given to him.

He said he came to know about the CBI notice, which was pasted on the ashram gate, yesterday.

 Sources said, Balkrishna is likely to move to Uttarakhand High Court to seek anticipatory bail.