Just when the government thought that the 2G case furore had been silenced, CNN-IBN has uncovered the collusion between Unitech MD Sanjay Chandra who was accused in the 2G case and the public prosecutor A K Singh. But is it just the tip of the iceberg where several other companies might have got away in the same manner?
“They (the corporates) have got away,” said Shalini Singh, Deputy Editor of The Hindu. Speaking to Rajdeep Sardesai on a late night discussion on CNN-IBN, she said, “CBI has just gave clean chits to corporates and lawyers. Being a Supreme Court monitored case, SC has asked the CBI to launch investigation against inelligible companies like Unitech.”
Does the rot run deeper in India’s prime investigative agency? Agencies.
According to her, there are several officials who were named in the 2G chargesheet after A Raja, the then telecom minister who was the prime accused in the 2G allocation case – A K Srivastav and B B Singh.
“A K Srivastav was the one who cleared the licenses. He was DDG, Access Services (at that point of time). He is a prime accused. The CBI insisted on turning him into a prime witness. If Unitech is involved, so will he be,” thus suggesting that the collusion exists in several levels.
Ex-police chief and anti-corruption activist Kiran Bedi suggested several measures that could ensure that that was no conflict of interest when the CBI handles the investigation of such high-profile cases. All these were also part of the Lokpal Bill that was passed, she added.
“CBI will not report to the Lokpal and they do not require sanctions. The Lokpal can oversee the entire matter and prosecution directorate not under the government, but under the CBI,” she said.
Other than that, government should not be allowed to transfer investigating officers. And the CBI director should not be reappointed after service, she added.
