In CBI vs CBI, kettles are calling pots black

There are multiple instances where those accusing others are themselves not of clean hand.

Apropos my earlier blog about the CBI should not have allowed the issue to spill into public domain. Having said that, events have taken their own course and what has happened since then is all in the public domain. Both the Number 1 and Number 2 of this agency were asked to proceed on leave. The highest office had to intervene.

Crying wolf
In the said context, let me flag one thing. Director CBI on leave has projected himself as the fall guy. He has alleged the he is being tailed and chased by intelligence agencies. Incidentally, he has been in the IPS for 39 years and this coming from the officer is not acceptable.

He knows the working of the police and intelligence, including positive vetting, and should not be amused at this. Further, his residence is located in the most sensitive locations of New Delhi, where many VIPs having life threat are also living. The intelligence gathering on this task is also a routine affairs. In spite of all this, he did allege intervention of Intelligence officials of what is noticeable known as routine beat.

He may find himself victimised by the present establishment, but to cry wolf of this matter does tantamount to false allegation. Further, he has been a Commissioner of Police in the Delhi Police, and hence is well conversant with the routines followed. Not just crying wolf over this surveillance this officer also reacted in the most ugly manner of setting his PSOs into physical engagement with the IB fellows on the roads of Delhi, if the clippings on TV are relied upon. Is it only a sign of sulk or something beyond that in the sense that he is peddling someone's political agenda.

Time to meet disgruntled politicians
In this context, it is intriguing that he had time to meet out-of-work and disgruntled political leaders like Yashwant Sinha, Arun Shourie along with bench shopping (as per SC observation) PIL kind Prashant Bhushan. What were they into? Of late, the two political leaders have been saying many things without furnishing any authentic source in the media, which is evidently an attempt to discredit this government specially on economic and security issues with potential of having wide ranging ramification.

Prashant Bhushan exposed his hidden agenda in the PIL in the Rohingya case, where he was espousing a cause again with potential to undermine the credibility of the state and was rightly rejected. While he had time to meet these persons, he did not find time furnish the papers sought by the CVC, which is oversight body in respect of investigations. Proverbial "Baap ki nahi sunenge, begane ki sunenge"

Delhi Police has succumbed to pressure in past
This apart, let me also flag one more thing to Alok Verma. He has been the Delhi Police Commissioner and has held several posts in the past. I want to flag his memory to MHA letter dated 19.1.2009, in which a narration of the attempt to kidnap me was detailed. He was a member of the force. The Delhi Police hushed up the entire episode by succumbing to political pressure. Did he raise his voice as a member of the force? Hence, to allege political intervention when it comes to your case, while in other cases in your entire career you have succumbed to such pressure is one case of kettle calling the pot black.

8th Report of 2nd ARC
In cases of political pressure in investigations in one of the panels Mr Veerappy Moily was grandstanding about how this government is intervening in major cases manipulating investigations etc, and they also brought in Rafale deal in this gamut. Interesting, isn't it?

Let me flag people's memory that Veerappa Moily was the Chairman of 2nd Administrative Reforms Committee set up by the UPA-I government in 2004. Its eighth report was entitled 'Combating Terrorism' and readers may like to access this report in whatever form that Mr Veerappa Moily had suggested.

He recommended the Intelligence Bureau to be brought under political oversight. This is tantamount to regularising political intervention in matters of intelligence, which is fraught with grave security-related consequences. Today, after the change of political dispensation and finding himself in the other side, now he is accusing the government of political intervention in important investigations. This is the second case of kettle calling the pot black. 

Rafale deal
Rafale deal is being allegedly linked to the present crisis in CBI. In so far as this deal is concerned let me tell readers that in case there are issues of procedural infirmities including not appropriate diligence in price discovery etc, then it is the mandate of C&AG. After the findings of C&AG if any imputations are found against the individual involved in causing this infirmity, only then, based on the consultation with different agencies, value of contract etc, advise of CVC should the case ripen for any CBI investigation into the matter. Or else CBI, having received a complaint from an individual having examined the papers and found a prima facie case, they shall register a PE case in the matter. Both these did not reportedly happen.

At the same time, the three persons have reportedly shared certain papers with Director CBI. I do not know the truth. But were the said papers reportedly shared were bonafide? Indeed, if they are bonafide, how did they access this. Surely such an important matter the files and papers would be classified appropriately according he Departmental Security Instructions. In spite that these persons however mighty they are have accessed the papers or information thereof, certainly it is a violation of Official Secret Act. They must surely have approached some serving government official having access to these papers. S/He would not have shared this information without pecuniary consideration. There lies another corruption. Hence, in case the papers are not bonafide, or bonafide obtained through contravention of OSA and through pecuniary consideration, each of these acts are illegal. This is the third example of kettle calling the pot black.

Implications of Rafale deal
Having said that, now I come to the issue of Rafale. Rafale acquisition does have the potential to confer overwhelming cutting to Indian defence forces in the South Asian region. It is for this reason that the Pakistani establishment has been disturbed and peddling all mistruths. This enabled them already to ensure that this issue occupies a lot of media time in recent past. Some Pakistani politicians have been commenting on this deal in the social media and other media. We don't know their concern. These are picked up by certain members of the opposition, including the largest opposition party. Are they peddling a Pakistani narrative on this? This indeed is illegal while taking a high moral ground notwithstanding Augusta Wasteland and other deals in which they are facing flak. This the fourth example of kettle calling the pot black.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)