CBI books former Air India chief for irregular promotions
New Delhi, Jan 23 : The CBI has booked former Air India Chairman-cum-Managing Director Arvind Jadhav for allegedly violating procedures while making various promotions and appointments, officials said Wednesday.
Along with Jadhav, the CBI has also named then Executive Director (Personnel) L P Nakhwa (now retired) and former Additional General Managers (Operations) A Kathpalia, Amitabh Singh and Rohit Bhasin in its FIR registered under IPC section related to criminal conspiracy and provisions of Prevention of Corruption Act.
The CBI alleged that Jadhav had constituted a panel in 2010 to promote officers to the rank of General Manager (operations) in violation of laid down procedure.
The three member panel included then Chief Operating Officer Gustav Baldauf, then Executive Director (operations) A S Soman and former Executive Director (Personnel) L P Nakhwa, it said.
Nakhwa, who was General Manager (Medical Service), was given the rank of Executive Director (Medical Services) after the post was upgraded as a temporary measure till August 31, 2009.
It is alleged that Nakhwa was to be reverted to the post of General Manager (Medical Services) from September 1, 2009, but she continued in her position as Executive Director in clear violation of the Civil Aviation Ministry's directive dated March 6, 2009.
The CBI inquiry also found that Jadhav reguiarised Nakhwa in the post of Executive Director (Medical Services) with effect from April 1, 2010 without following the due procedure, the FIR said.
The Civil Aviation Ministry had annulled and reversed the irregular appointment of Nakhwa as Executive Director (Medical services), the CBI alleged.
A human resources sub-committee of the Board of Air India in an order dated September 8, 2O1O reverted Nakhwa to the post of General Manager (Medical services) with immediate effect.
"Therefore, the promotion panel so constituted by Arvind Jadhav...for selecting suitable candidates for promotions to the post of GM (operations) should have been re-constituted in the wake of reversion of Nakhwa from Executive Director(Medical services) to the rank of General Manager," it said.
This was necessary as according to the promotion policy of Air India, members of promotion panel should be preferably two levels above the post for which the selection is to be made, which was not the case with Nakhwa who was of the same for which selection was to be made by the panel.
The investigating agency said although Nakhwa was not eligible for being a member of the said promotion panel, Jadhav nominated her against the prevailing rules and procedure.
The panel had called 15 Additional General Managers (operations) ranked candidates for the interview for the promotion to General Manager (operations) and selected five candidates.
Additional General Mangers (Operations) A Kathpalia, Amitabh Singh, Rohit Bhasin, A K Gujaral and N K Beri were considered for promotion to the General Manager (Operations) by the panel, the FIR said.
It is alleged there was a criminal case against Kathpalia who was given vigilance clearance, a matter which needs further probe.
Bhasin and Singh too were having pending complaints against them yet they were cleared for promotion, the FIR alleged.
"Giving vigilance clearance to both the officers having complaint pending against them is irregularity and misconduct on part of unknown officers of Air India who dealt with this matter," the FIR added.
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UP: Fake IAS officer marries woman, flees with Rs 15 lakh dowry
Gorakhpur (UP) (PTI): A newly married man fled with the Rs 15 lakh given to him as dowry by the bride's family, and it came to light later that he was an alleged serial scammer, police said on Sunday.
The accused, identified as Pritam Kumar Nishad from Etawah, allegedly posed as an IAS officer to deceive the woman into marrying him. He is currently absconding with his sister, and a case has been filed against him for cheating, dowry harassment, and forgery, officials said.
According to the police, the woman's family claimed that they spent nearly Rs 30 lakh for the wedding that was solemnised on March 11.
The match was arranged through a matrimonial group, where the accused introduced himself as an IAS officer, sharing purported interview clips, office visuals, and photographs with politicians to gain the family's trust.
Despite initially claiming he would marry without dowry, the accused allegedly demanded Rs 15 lakh shortly before the engagement. The bride's family paid Rs 10 lakh in cash during the engagement and the remaining Rs 5 lakh on the wedding day, the police said.
The fraud came to light on Saturday after the woman reached Etawah, and a wedding attendee informed the family that the accused was not a civil servant. When her relatives visited the address provided by him, they found her in a small rented room, while the accused and his sister had fled, the police added.
The woman has also alleged that the accused planned to take her to Goa and sell her, and accused him of inappropriate behaviour.
The police suspect that the accused may have been involved in multiple such marriages in the past. Based on a complaint lodged at the cantonment police station, an FIR was registered on Saturday evening.
Senior Superintendent of Police Dr Kaustubh said efforts are underway to arrest the accused.
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