Tatra, coal block allocation among those Sinha wrapped up 'for want of prosecutable evidence'
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed closure reports in about 12 high- profile cases during its director Ranjit Sinha's 22-month tenure 'for want of prosecutable evidence'.
The latest are the Tatra scam, coal block allocation case against K M Birla and 'horse trading' case against former Chhattisgarh chief minister Ajit Jogi. The Tatra scam involves the government-owned BEML and Tatra Vectra Motors Ltd, a joint venture between the UK-based Vectra group and Czech firm Tatra Trucks.
The agency has also filed closure reports in four other coalgate-related cases. It has also recommended closure of several preliminary enquiries, stating that it couldn't find criminal intent behind the 'misrepresentation of facts submitted by various companies' that were being investigated.
However, the special CBI court, recently set up to hear coal block allocation scam cases, while referring to Birla's case, criticised the agency for filing the closure report in 'a hurry'. The court also questioned the agency over the disappearance of some files.
The CBI defence for closure reports is that a "fair investigation doesn't end up in charge sheets all the time, some investigations could lead to closure of cases as well."
In the Adarsh scam involving former Maharashtra chief minister Ashok Chavan, sources say, the CBI director took decisions unilaterally, even when investigators and prosecution were at variance with him.
Sinha didn't heed suggestions from his prosecution team and ordered that the file should be sent to the governor to get his permission for prosecution. Much to Chavan's relief, the governor denied permission.
Sinha, a 1974 batch IPS officer, took over as CBI director in December 2012. His term will end in December this year. Earlier, he served as director-general of Indo-Tibetan Border Police.
In the coal scam, the agency has already filed closure reports in cases involving Jas Infrastructure and JLD Yavatmal, owned by Congress MP Vijay Darda. Green Infrastructure and Kamal Sponge Steel & Power have also been given clean chits.
Similarly, most cases which hogged limelight over the years have been recommended for closure, since "either the cases were too weak or CBI investigations into them were questionable."
For example, in the infamous Rs 1,150 crore Barak missile case, involving former defence minister George Fernandes, the CBI filed a closure report in December 2013, stating that Israel, where the missiles were made, refused to cooperate and denied making any payments to win the deal.
In July 2013, the CBI closed the disproportionate assets case against Vincent George, former personal secretary and aide of Congress president Sonia Gandhi. The CBI claimed that the judicial requests seeking evidence from the US remained unanswered for over a decade "There is lack of sufficient evidence to pursue the case," was its argument.
In the Adarsh Society scam, the CBI gave a clean chit to former Maharashtra chief minister Shivajirao Patil-Nilangekar, then revenue minister, when the land was allotted to the society. The CBI, in February, informed the court that no prosecutable evidence was found against him during investigations.
In a major relief to two former UP chief ministers, Mulayam Singh Yadav and Mayawati, the CBI filed closure reports in separate cases of disproportionate assets against the duo. Mulayam's case was closed on September 13 on account of 'grossly insufficient evidence.' A few days later, the CBI wound up its probe against Mayawati. The list of such high-profile closures continues.
"We can't file charge sheets randomly. The evidences we produce have to stand scrutiny in a court of law," Kanchan Prasad, public relations officer of CBI told dna. She said that the 67 per cent conviction rate in cases that the CBI charge-sheets reflects the 'sincerity and fairness' with which the agency investigates.
The CBI has registered 1,131 cases in 2013, including one on coal block allocations, procurement of 12 VVIP helicopters from Finmeccanica and a bribery case relating to a Railway Board staff member.
The CBI has also registered a preliminary enquiry into the alleged Rs 10,000 crore by London- based Rolls Royce for supply of aircraft engines to state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd.
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