Court flays CBI for losing file relating to former RAW head

PTI : Friday, Sep 10, 2010 : New Delhi :

A court in New Delhi today chided CBI for having lost a file relating to probe against a former Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) chief on the charge of amassing assets disproportionate to known sources of his income and said "it indicates that things are not above board".

The court also allowed RK Yadav, a former RAW officer, to produce evidence to prove his charge that AK Verma, former head of the external intelligence agency, had acquired assets disproportionate to his known sources of income.

Even though CBI claimed to have lost the file relating to the probe into the charge against Verma, a 1953-batch IPS officer, the court gave a go-ahead to Yadav, the complainant, to record the evidence.

"In reply to an RTI application, the complainant was told that the file has been lost. This is just not acceptable. CBI is not supposed to lose the track of file after initiating investigation. It indicates that things are not above board," Special CBI judge Pradeep Chaddah said.

Yadav had alleged in a complaint to the court that Verma, while acting as RAW chief between July 1987 and May 1990, had amassed huge wealth including moveable and immovable assets and several flats and farm houses.

He sought action against Verma and, his son Deepak Verma, who is settled in the US, under Prevention of Corruption Act and IPC.

Allowing Yadav to produce his evidence, the court said he should be given a fair chance to prove his charges.

"If there is any element of truth in the assessments made by the complainant that accused acquired various properties, then certainly it should raise eyebrow as he, being a government servant, cannot be expected to have amassed so much of assets. Complainant should be given a fair chance to prove his allegations," the court said.

"I, therefore, call upon the complainant to establish his case by leading evidence that accused procured assets disproportionate to known sources of his income," the judge added.

Yadav, who had joined RAW in officers' rank in 1973, alleged hundreds of crore of rupees given to the agency for different secret operations were siphoned off by Verma.

Yadav's complaints seeking action against Verma had earlier been dismissed by a special CBI court and the Delhi high court.

He had also approached CBI and Central Vigilance Commission for the purpose.

He met with the previous CBI chief seeking action against Verma and resorted to RTI Act to seek details of action against the former IPS officer.