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Gandhis to Gehlot, Maya to Mamata: Corruption cases weigh down Oppn leaders
Congress accused the Narendra Modi government of using the CBI and Enforcement Directorate (ED) against opposition leaders, especially non-BJP chief ministers.
Congress has repeatedly disrupted proceedings in Rajya Sabha on Monday, accusing the Narendra Modi government of using the CBI and Enforcement Directorate (ED) against opposition leaders, especially non-BJP chief ministers.
Here is a list of cases involving high profile opposition leaders:
National Herald Case Against Sonia, Rahul Gandhi & others
Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Oscar Fernandes, Motilal Vora, Suman Dubey and Sam Pitroda are the accused in this case. It is based on a 2012 private complaint by BJP MP Subramanian Swamy, accusing Congress leaders of cheating and breach of trust in the acquisition of Associated Journal Ltd. (AJL), publisher of National Herald newspaper, by Young Indian Pvt Ltd. The Congress has rubbished the allegations, alleging political vendetta.
Status: The case is sub-judice. A Delhi court granted bail to the Congress leaders in December 2015. The court recently dismissed Swamy’s application seeking direction to the Congress party and AJL to produce certain records relating to the case.
Aircel-Maxis Case Against P Chidambaram
In his capacity as ex-officio chairman of the foreign investment promotion board (FIPB) in 2006, former finance minister P Chidambaram approved the sale of telecom company Aircel to a Malaysian company. Both the CBI and the ED are investigating the deal.
Subramanian Swamy alleged that the FIPB clearance was illegally approved by Chidambaram. Since the deal was over and above Rs 600 crore, it ought to have been placed before the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs by the then finance minister, Swamy said.
Chidambaram has, however, rejected the charges, saying that the approval was given in the normal course of business.
Status: CBI has initiated a preliminary inquiry into the case.
Cases Against Aam Aadmi Party
The CBI registered seven preliminary enquiries against the AAP this year, two of which were converted into FIRs. The confrontation between AAP and CBI started when Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal accused the agency of raiding his offices at the secretariat.
The raids were conducted at office of Kejriwal’s principal secretary Rajendra Kumar in connection with a corruption case and after several rounds of questioning, the senior bureaucrat was arrested.
He was later released on bail but the case would not be the last one which the agency filed against individuals and leaders associated with either AAP or the Delhi government.
The CBI is currently probing AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan, former MLA Asim Khan on allegations of corruption. Another FIR was registered by CBI in the appointment of Nikunj Aggarwal as officer on special duty (OSD) to Delhi health minister Satyendra Jain.
But the biggest jolt to AAP came when CBI registered a PE against deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia for alleged irregularities in a contract to private firm Perfect Relations for a social media campaign, ‘Talk to AK’. AAP has alleged political vendetta.
Status: CBI has filed a chargesheet in Rajendra Kumar case.
Uttarakhand Sting Against Harish Rawat
In April last year, the CBI registered a preliminary enquiry in connection with an alleged sting operation, purportedly showing former Uttarakhand chief minister Harish Rawat offering bribes to rebel Congress MLAs to support him in a floor test in the Assembly.
Status: There has been no progress since the questioning of Rawat last December.
Corruption Case Against Himachal CM Virbhadra Singh (CBI and ED)
The case was registered in September 2015 under the Prevention of Corruption Act against Himachal Pradesh chief minister Virbhadra Singh and his wife Pratibha, among others. The allegation involved acquisition of assets disproportionate to his known sources of income during his tenure as Union steel minister in UPA II government. Singh has denied the allegations and termed the case as an outcome of political vendetta.
Status: Last Wednesday, Virbhadra Singh challenged the Delhi high court order refusing to quash the criminal case registered against him and his wife.
CBI recently filed a chargesheet against the CM and others named in the FIR. The ED attached properties belonging to Singh’s family, including a Delhi farmhouse bought by a firm owned by his son.
Singh and his family were examined multiple times in the case, with the CBI even raiding his house on the day of his daughter’s wedding. No formal arrest has been made by the agency.
Gurgaon Land Allotment Case Against Bhupinder Singh Hooda
CBI registered a case against former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda in September 2015 for allegedly granting favours to private builders in the acquisition of around 400 acres of land in Gurgaon during the previous Congress regime. Last year, the agency raided 20 locations, including Hooda’s premises. Hooda has denied the allegations.
Status: Under investigation.
NRHM Scam Against Mayawati
The multi-crore national rural health mission (NRHM) scam has continued to haunt BSP supremo and former UP chief minister Mayawati as well as senior party leaders, including former health minister, Anant Kumar Mishra and former family welfare minister Babu Singh Kushwaha, who was arrested by the probe agency.
The Centre released Rs 10,000 crore under NRHM between 2005 and 2011. A CAG audit detected misappropriation of Rs 4,900 crore.
Status: The CBI has registered more than 70 FIRs and filed close to 50 chargesheets in the NRHM scam.
J&K Cricket Association Case Against Farooq Abdullah
In 2015, the CBI registered a case against two ex-officials of Jammu & Kashmir Cricket Association for their alleged role in the Rs 113 crore scam, which also involved National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah. The alleged involvement of Abdullah, a minister in the previous UPA regime, was cited as one of the main reasons by the state high court for handing over the probe to CBI. The case relates to alleged misappropriation of funds received by the JKCA.
Status: Questioning of senior politicians allegedly involved in the case is yet to start.
Ambulance Case Against Sachin Pilot, Ashok Gehlot & Others
Former chief minister Ashok Gehlot, state Congress chief Sachin Pilot, former Union finance minister P Chidambaram’s son Karti, and former Union minister Vyalar Ravi’s son Ravi Krishna, among others are accused in this case.
The allegation pertains to irregularities in the award of a tender to a private firm linked with these Congress leaders. They have rebutted the allegations.
Status: ED recently attached assets of Mumbai-based Ziqitza Healthcare Ltd. and two of its directors in connection to a probe under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
Disproportionate Assets Case Against Jagan Mohan Reddy
CBI inquiry into YSR Congress leader Jagan Mohan Reddy’s business empire and the source of its funds was ordered by the Andhra Pradesh high court in August 2011 and on May 27, 2012.
The probe agency said various companies and individuals had made huge investments in Jagan’s business empire when his father YS Rajasekhar Redddy was the chief minister. Reddy was released on bail from Chanchalguda jail on September 25, 2013, nearly 16 months after his arrest. He has denied all allegations.
Status: CBI in March this year approached a Hyderabad court seeking the cancellation of the bail granted to Jagan in the case. The ED recently carried out raids at 110 locations across 16 states of the country as part of their “Operation Shell Companies”. Reddy’s premises were among the raided locations.
Chit Fund Scams Against Trinamool Congress (CBI and ED)
The CBI investigation into the Rs 2,500-crore Saradha chit fund scam has taken a major toll on the Trinamool Congress (TMC) in West Bengal. Over a dozen party MLAs and MPs have been accused in the case. TMC leader Sudip Bandyopadhyay was arrested on January 4 this year while fellow MP Tapas Paul was arrested on December 30 last year.
Status: Investigations are on.
Money Laundering Case Against Chhagan Bhujbal
The former deputy chief minister of Maharashtra Chhagan Bhujbal was arrested by the ED last year in connection with a money laundering case. The senior NCP leader has been accused of receiving kickbacks in awarding contracts.
Status: Bhujbal is currently in jail and investigations are on.
