Rishi Kumar Shukla takes charge as CBI director
New Delhi, Feb 4: Newly-appointed CBI chief Rishi Kumar Shukla took charge of the probe agency Monday, officials said.
Shukla, a 1983-batch IPS officer, took charge at a time when the agency is busy in a dirty turf war with the Kolkata Police which has spiralled into a political slugfest between the Centre and West Bengal government.
RK Shukla, IPS, took over charge as director of the CBI this morning, CBI spokesperson Nitin Wakankar said.
The arrival of 58-year old Shukla, a former DGP of Madhya Pradesh and an Intelligence Bureau veteran, as a full- fledged director is likely to bring some sort of order in the agency that has moved the Supreme Court to challenge the action of West Bengal government in ponzi scam cases.
A perplexed interim CBI chief M Nageswara Rao was seen scrambling resources to counter the state police's action which not only detained a CBI team which went to question Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar, but also cordoned off the agency's office at CGO complex in Salt Lake city.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had started a dharna on Sunday evening protesting against the alleged high handedness of the Centre and insults meted out to her by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah.
Banerjee's reaction was triggered when a team of CBI officials arrived unannounced at the doors of the Kolkata police chief to question him in connection with Saradha and Rose Valley scams.
The investigations in these cases have been sped up in the run up to general elections with the agency recently questioning a close aide of Banerjee at his residence.
The team was stopped by West Bengal police personnel and they were bundled into a police vehicle and taken to a police station.
The West Bengal police took the action as the agency officials failed to produce any warrant, state police officials said.
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Mamata visits Bhabanipur EVM strong room, warns against counting irregularities
Kolkata (PTI): West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee early Friday warned against any attempt to tamper with the counting process, hours after she visited an EVM strong room in Bhabanipur, alleging possible malpractice.
Banerjee, who emerged around 12:07 am after spending nearly four hours at the counting centre for her Bhabanipur constituency housed in Sakhawat Memorial School in south Kolkata, said only one person would be allowed inside the designated counting area.
"Either the candidate or one agent can stay upstairs. I have also suggested installation of a CCTV camera for the media," she told reporters.
Stressing the need for transparency, she said, "It is essential to maintain transparency. People’s votes must be protected. I rushed here after receiving complaints. The central forces initially did not allow me to enter."
Sounding a stern note ahead of the May 4 counting, she added, "If there is any plan to tamper with the counting process, it will not be tolerated."
On Thursday evening, Banerjee had reached the Bhabanipur Assembly segment counting centre, which houses the strong room for EVMs used in the April 29 polling, citing suspicion of tampering with the machines.
She entered the premises along with her election agent and remained inside for hours, even as Kolkata Mayor and TMC candidate from the Kolkata Port segment Firhad Hakim reached the spot but could not meet her.
"I reached here upon learning that the chief minister has arrived. But I couldn’t meet her since she was already inside the premises, exercising her right as a candidate to visit strong rooms. I wasn’t allowed there. I will not be able to confirm what exactly is transpiring inside," Hakim said.
The development coincided with protests by TMC candidates Kunal Ghosh and Shashi Panja outside the Khudiram Anushilan Kendra in north Kolkata, where they staged a sit-in alleging irregularities and possible tampering of EVMs stored in strong rooms, leading to face-offs between TMC and BJP supporters.
Earlier in a video message, Banerjee had urged party leaders, workers and polling agents to maintain a 24-hour vigil on EVM strong rooms, alleging that the BJP could attempt to tamper with the machines before counting begins.
Her remarks come amid heightened political tension in the state following a fiercely contested Assembly election, with parties closely monitoring arrangements and raising concerns over transparency.
