Why were Ambanis not charged: CIC

The Central Information Commission (CIC) has directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to reveal as to why it did not include the names of India’s top industrialists Mukesh Ambani and Anil Ambani in its charge sheet in a case against Reliance Infocom Limited.

The directive came on an appeal from one PC Srivastava who had approached CIC after the CBI refused to furnish some information in the charge sheet filed against Reliance Infocom.
Though the CBI divulged the dates on which it had registered the case against the company, when it completed the investigation and when it filed the charge sheet, it refused to tell the reason behind not including Mukesh and Anil Ambani’s names in the charge sheet.

Srivastava in his appeal said the CBI told him, “The case was finalised after obtaining legal opinion and evaluation of evidence. The information sought was confidential and cannot be disclosed as it would impede the process of prosecution…”

When asked whether reasons for not prosecuting Ambani brothers were available on record, the CBI told the CIC that it had “decided to prosecute certain directors and the reasons for not prosecuting” Ambani brothers were on record.

CBI stated that disclosing such information would provide clues to the other accused with which they would be able to argue why they should also not be charged and that would impede prosecution of the offenders.