Vajpayee was not investigated, says former CBI chief

Seventeen years after India witnessed one of its worst communal incidents, the demolition of Babri Masjid, the tardy progress made by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has failed to restore the confidence of the masses and the minorities.

The findings of the Liberhan commission, in this case, have, however, been debunked by experts. Former CBI director Joginder Singh said the government would do better by giving a free hand to investigating agencies rather than set up useless commissions and spend public money on them.

“A commission is neither a court of law, nor an investigating agency. These commissions are set up to fool people. If the findings are correct, the Liberhan commission has not found anything new. People should question the fact that crores have been sent on this commission without getting any concrete findings,” Singh said.

Singh, who was CBI director between 1996 and 1997, also denied that former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee was at any point of time under probe by the CBI. “To the best of my knowledge Mr Vajpayee was never under probe. If that is actually what the Liberhan commission has stated, they (commission) are free to name the entire RSS and the BJP,” said Singh.

The CBI carried out enquiries and booked LK Advani, Ashok Singhal, Giriraj Kishore, Murli Manohar Joshi, Vinay Katiyar, Uma Bharti and Sadhvi Ritambhara for being part of the conspiracy to demolish the mosque.

But little has moved since then. The investigating agency, which has been repeatedly accused of towing the line of the political party in power, has failed to find any concrete evidence.

How can he be indicted?
A commission set up under the Commissions of Inquiry Act can’t indict or adversely discuss the role of a person who was never brought in to defend himself, said Anupam Gupta, the former Liberhan panellawyer.

“How can the commission then indict Vajpayee?,’’ Gupta, who leftthe commission two years ago, said.“I objected to the application filed by a lawyer OP Sharma who wanted Vajpayee to be summoned in 2003. I told the Commission there’s no evidence or even distant material against Vajpayee. Justice Liberhan rejected that application,’’ said Gupta.
“If the commission indeed indicted the former PM, a petition challenging that can be moved before the high court. Court will expunge it,’’ the lawyer said.