IPS officer in Mumbai under scanner for links with Balwa

Shahid Balwa, DB Realty’s managing director, has told the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) interrogating him in the 2G scam case that he helped a senior Indian Police Service (IPS) officer posted in Mumbai to make investments in real estate. Manish Pachouly reports.

Shahid Balwa, DB Realty’s managing director, has told the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) interrogating him in the 2G scam case that he helped a senior Indian Police Service (IPS) officer posted in Mumbai to make investments in real estate.

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Balwa is in CBI custody in connection with the 2G scam.

Sources in the CBI said Balwa mentioned the IPS officer’s name when he was questioned about his links with people in power circles. The CBI is interrogating him on his company’s affairs, investments made by it and money received from sources for projects, the sources said.

A CBI officer who is part of the investigation, and who did not wish to be named, said the agency had forwarded details of the statement to the Union home ministry as it was not connected to the 2G scam it is probing.

The officer said the ministry has already asked the Intelligence Bureau (IB) to prepare a report on the officer’s alleged links with Balwa and submit it in a month’s time. “Once the report is ready, the ministry will decide on the further course of action,” the officer said.

The IB would look into investments made by the officer and crosscheck details with his known sources of income. “If the investments are higher than known sources of income, the home department would be alerted so that it could initiate a probe,” the officer pointed out.