Probe agencies being 'abused' by government: Congress
New Delhi, July 23 : The Congress on Monday accused the Narendra Modi government of "misusing" and "abusing" the central investigating agencies such as the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for alleged political vendetta.
Raising the issue in the Rajya Sabha during the Zero Hour, senior Congress leader Anand Sharma said that the "misuse" of central agencies by the government was creating an environment of "distrust, fear and terror in the country".
"The investigating agencies have a role to perform under the laws of the land and the Constitution of the country. They are not instruments to be abused by the government of the day for targeted political vendetta or to persecute senior officials of the government," Sharma said.
He said that parallel proceedings for one alleged offence were being conducted simultaneously by the CBI, ED and the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI).
"Such a thing has never happened ... parallel FIRs. Under the Constitution of India, any citizen has the protection of equality before the law, there cannot be any discrimination. The agencies have to coordinate their functioning, but they cannot create a situation where you have separate FIRs, separate bail provisions, multiple cases for the same alleged offence...," Sharma said.
He said that senior government officials were being harassed by the agencies well after their retirement, by being summoned for investigations.
"This was discussed in the House that there has to be a distinction between bona fide actions and acts of corruption. We are equally concerned that the agencies now as per the reports are going to the extent of forcing people, extracting... The mandate is there but they cannot be abused. Why is the government silent? This is a serious situation," he added.
Interrupting Sharma, Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu said that the MPs should not "demoralise the agencies".
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Badlapur accused Akshay Shinde shot dead: Lawyer of minor girls calls it 'killing of justice'
Mumbai (PTI): The gunning down of Badlapur case accused Akshay Shinde on Monday was the "killing of justice", said Asim Sarode, lawyer for the two minor girls he allegedly sexually assaulted.
Shinde was killed near Mumbra Bypass around 6:15pm when he allegedly snatched the gun of a policeman while he was being ferried in a police vehicle as part of a probe into a case registered on the complaint of his former wife.
After he shot and injured an API, another personnel from the escort team fired at him, and he was declared dead by doctors at a nearby hospital.
"While representing the two minor girls, I noticed it was becoming uncomfortable for the local politics of the Thane district and even for the educational institution where Akshay Shinde was working. Shinde's death in such a manner is killing of justice," Sarode told a regional news channel.
"Now, the case of sexual assault of the two minor girls will get sidelined. The case of these two minor girls was becoming difficult for the educational institute, as it is affiliated with a certain political family. Such a practice would lower the confidence of people in police and the judiciary," he claimed.
Sarode said he will be filing a plea before the Bombay High Court demanding thorough inquiry into the firing incident.
"Shinde's case could have brought up certain aspects that would have been negative politically for the government. I wonder how Shinde could access the gun and how he could unlock it when his hands were tied. This is political murder and is absolutely wrong," he said.
