CIC Asks PMO to Disclose corruption complaints against serving ministers
New Delhi, Oct 21: The Central Information Commission has directed the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) to disclose complaints of corruption received against Union ministers between 2014 and 2017 and action taken on them.
Chief Information Commissioner Radha Krishna Mathur, while deciding a plea of Indian Forest Service officer Sanjiv Chaturvedi, also directed the PMO to share information about the quantum and value of black money brought back from abroad during the tenure of the Narendra Modi dispensation, along with records of efforts made in this direction.
The order asked the PMO to disclose information related to deposits made by the government in bank accounts of Indian citizens from the black money brought from abroad.
The Prime Minister's Office had termed the questions asked by Chaturvedi, in his RTI application related to black money, as not covered in the definition of "information" which can be accessed under the Right to Information Act, but the commissioner rejected the contention.
"The respondent (PMO) has wrongly stated in his reply against point nos 4 (black money brought from abroad) and 5 (deposits made in bank accounts of Indian citizens from the black money recovered from abroad) of the RTI application that 'request made by the appellant is not covered under the definition of 'information' as per Section 2(f) of the RTI Act'," Mathur said while ordering their disclosure.
In his RTI application, Chaturvedi had also sought information on various schemes of the BJP government such as 'Make in India', 'Skill India', 'Swachh Bharat' and 'Smart City Project' which were transferred to the ministry concerned by the PMO.
Not getting satisfactory response from the PMO, Chaturvedi filed an appeal before the Central Information Commission, the highest appellate body on RTI matters.
During the hearing, Chaturvedi told the commission that he had sought specific information regarding certified copy of complaints submitted to the Prime Minister against corruption of serving union ministers which should be provided to him.
"The commission further observed that the respondent (PMO) has not given correct and specific reply/information to the appellant on point numbers 1(b) (corruption complaints against ministers), 4, 5, 12 & 13 (related to corruption in AIIMS) of the RTI application," Mathur noted.
The commission also directed the PMO to disclose action taken on a letter of Chaturvedi alleging corruption against officials of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and purported role of a union health minister in it.
Chaturvedi had earlier raised the issue of alleged corruption in the erstwhile Congress government in Haryana and a forestry scam case in which fake plantations were allegedly carried out across the state.
Facing purported harassment from the state government, he appealed to the central government which formed a committee in union environment ministry in 2010. Its report found merit in the contentions of Chaturvedi.
The ministry also confirmed the harassment of Chaturvedi and recommended quashing of cases against him which were quashed by the President.
He was brought to AIIMS as Chief Vigilance Officer by the Congress-led UPA government and his work to contain corruption at the prestigious institute was termed outstanding by the then Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad.
In August 2014, Chaturvedi was relieved from AIIMS and sent to Uttarakhand where he is serving as a conservator of forests.
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CBI questions Anil Ambani for second day in connection with 2,929-cr RCom case
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New Delhi (PTI): The CBI on Friday questioned industrialist Anil Ambani for the second consecutive day in connection with a Rs 2,929-crore cheating case, registered against Reliance Communications Ltd and him on a complaint by the State Bank of India, officials said.
Ambani arrived at the agency headquarters at around 10 am, they said.
On Thursday, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) sought his responses on alleged fund diversion, misappropriation and other irregularities in the loan funds issued to the company by the bank, they said.
"The appearance is in furtherance to Mr Ambani's commitment to extend full cooperation in the matter with all agencies," Anil D Ambani's Spokesperson had said in a statement on Thursday.
The CBI had booked Ambani in August last year for allegedly defrauding the SBI to the tune of Rs 2,929 crore, officials said.
According to the SBI complaint, now part of the FIR, the company had an outstanding of over Rs 40,000 crore to various lenders, with the public sector bank alone facing a loss of Rs 2,929 crore, according to 2018 figures.
The CBI booked Ambani and RCom for allegedly committing offences of criminal conspiracy, cheating and criminal breach of trust.
"It is alleged that the accused persons, in criminal conspiracy, misrepresented and got sanctioned credit facilities from SBI in favour of Reliance Communication Ltd," a CBI spokesperson said in a statement in August last year.
Ambani's spokesperson responded, "Anil D Ambani denies all allegations and charges, and will duly defend himself."
According to sources, the agency also searched the Ambani residence 'Sea Wind' at Cuffe Parade in Mumbai.
The complaint filed by SBI pertains to matters dating back more than 10 years, according to Ambani's spokesperson.
At that time, Ambani was a non-executive director of the company, with no involvement in the day-to-day management, a statement from his spokesperson then said.
"The matter remains sub-judice, pending before the NCLT (National Company Law Tribunal) and other judicial forums, including the Supreme Court, for the past six years," it said.
Anil Ambani has duly challenged SBI's declaration before the competent judicial forum, it said.
