Scam News

In a relief to IFS officer Sanjiv Chaturvedi, the whistleblower who blew the lid off corruption in Haryana's forest department, President Pranab Mukherjee quashed the state's chargesheet against him on Thursday. Chaturvedi, presently the Chief Vigilance Officer at AIIMS, had locked horns with the Haryana government in January 2009 after he detected a multi-crore plantation scam in Jhajjar.

In connection with Commonwealth Games projects, as many as 10 cases have been closed down by the Central Vigilance commission(CVC) following investigation. Of the total 51 cases of alleged corruption in CWG related work being dealt by the CVC, 24 were pending investigation and 12 were being investigated by the CBI.

The anti-corruption bureau of CBI has initiated a preliminary enquiry against the Indian civil aviation regulator, questioning more than 200 DGCA officials for misuse of free air tickets. According to sources, the norm (called AIC 02/1978) has been widely misused to issue free tickets to officers of the civil aviation department authorized by the director general for their personal travel.

The CBI has given clean chit to Maharashtra's rural development minister Jayant Patil in the 'Adarsh scam' due to lack of evidence against him. The statement came in reply to an application made by a social activist seeking CBI investigation against Patil and Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde in Adarsh scam. CBI has already granted a clean chit to Shinde.

Breaking its silence on the latest Coalgate development, PMO acknowledged that Manmohan Singh put his stamp of approval (on October 1, 2005) on the coal block allocation to Hindalco. It rebutted CBI's claim of illegality, saying the PM stood by the decision as no wrong had been committed. The statement came after PM was accused of irregularities in it's approval.

"We can't close the investigation straightaway and, having registered an FIR for alleged misconduct, will have to talk to all people concerned. But we are open to the idea of closing the investigation," said a senior CBI source . The possibility arises if CBI finds no trace of criminality against Kumar Mangalam Birla, Hindalco and PC Parakh in it's investigation.

Central IAS Officers' Association has decided to approach highest government authorities to ensure necessary safeguards for bureaucrats who make honest decisions. The Association made the move over CBI's FIR which named former coal secretary PC Parakh as an accused in the coal block allocations scam. IPS and IFoS associations have also backed Parakh calling him a man of high integrity.

"Coal mafia is not outside the government. It exists within the Coal Ministry," wrote former coal secretary PC Parakh in 2005 in a letter that has been accessed by media. "…MPs are indulged in blackmailing civil servants to meet their personal ends… There is large-scale generation of black money through patronage of coal mafia in the current system," added Parakh.

CBI on Friday registered an FIR against Rajya Sabha member Anil Sahani of the JD(U), an Air India official and a Delhi-based travel agency, in the leave travel concession (LTC) irregularities claims made by central government and public sector employees. Some government employees and MP's are suspected of submission of inflated and fake flight tickets and boarding passes.

After allegations of bribery, India has decided to cancel the Rs 3,700 crore deal with AgustaWestland to supply twelve AW-101 helicopters to the Indian Air Force, Reuters on Tuesday reported. Italian investigators had alleged that the UK-based firm bribed former air chief SP Tyagi and paid middlemen over Rs 375 crore in kickbacks while the deal was being set up.

Bidhannagar Police arrested suspended Trinamool Congress MP Kunal Ghosh in connection with the Saradha Group ponzi scam on Saturday. Fresh evidence shows the involvement of Ghosh, CEO of Saradha Group's media arm, in the conspiracy along with chairman Sudipta Sen, said DCP Arnab Ghosh. Kunal Ghosh had filed a FIR against Arnab Ghosh at the same police station that afternoon.

Speak Asia promoter, Ram Sumiran Pal, one of the three masterminds behind the Rs 2,200 crore online-marketing fraud that duped at least 24 lakh investors, was arrested by the Delhi crime branch on Tuesday. Pal is the first senior office bearer of Speak Asia to be arrested and police are now on the lookout for other members.

In a first, the Enforcement Directorate has attached estimated Rs.75 crore assets of a borrower company, Mohan India and its associates, in connection with the money-laundering probe in National Spot Exchange Limited scam case. The ED suspects that the firm laundered huge amounts of sums generated from the operations at NSEL and ploughed them into real estate and other avenues.

An Italian court on Saturday allowed Indian officials to question Guido Haschke in next hearing on Dec-13. Haschke, accused of bribing IAF officials to swing VVIP helicopter deal (2010) for UK-based firm Agusta Westland, has claimed to have contacted IAF chief SP Tyagi. Meanwhile, the Defense Ministry is preparing to scrap the deal with Agusta for violating pre-contract integrity pact.

Fraudulent investment firms Saradha Group and the Seashore Group of companies, which allegedly duped investors of crores of rupees, are facing Odisha government's order for attachment of their properties. The interim order was issued by the state government on the basis of proposal of the Economic Offence Wing of the crime branch of Odisha Police.

According to sources, Maharashtra Governor has refused to permit CBI to prosecute former Maharashtra CM, Ashok Chavan, for his alleged involvement in the Adarsh housing society scam in 2010. The decision was taken by the Governor using his discretionary powers and the state Cabinet did not discuss the matter. Shocked over Governer's decision, state BJP has demanded Chavan's prosecution.

The Congress-NCP government Friday rejected the report of the judicial commission of inquiry on the Adarsh scam that indicted four former chief ministers (Ashok Chavan, Vilasrao Deshmukh, Sushilkumar Shinde and SN Patil), two former urban development ministers and 12 top bureaucrats. The report called the Adarsh saga not one of "ideal (Adarsh) co-operation but a shameless tale of blatant violations".

According to sources, India has cancelled the Rs 3,600 crore VVIP chopper deal with British manufacturer AgustaWestland, due to the "violation of the pre-contract integrity pact". CBI has alleged that former Air Force Chief SP Tyagi was among those who accepted bribes from Finmeccanica, a company that owns AgustaWestland. However, AgustaWestland has denied any wrongdoing.

CBI has alleged that senior railway officials as well as members of railway unions are making illegal money in allocating "Emergency Quota" (EQ) tickets released by the railway ministry. "We have learnt that EQ tickets are being used by non-entitled persons," said a top CBI official. CBI on Wednesday registered a preliminary enquiry to probe the alleged scam.