The CBI search at Pallika Service officers institute (PSOI), a central government officers club, in chanakyapuri, New Delhi has brought an Addtional Secretary and a former New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) chairman under scanner in corruption case.
Recently, a CBI search in the office of caterer Rakesh Tiwari at the NDMC’s Palika Services Officers Institute in Chanakyapuri, unearthed documents related to those of several serving and retired bureaucrats showing hawala transaction records indicating that some of them were illegally transferring thousands of dollars abroad.
The Central Investigation Agency started this probe after filing FIR against Rakesh Tiwari, who earlier ran a canteen at the CBI headquarters.There were allegation against Tiwari that he was receiving money through ‘hawala’ from Neeraj Kochar, owner of Mumbai-based Viraj Profiles, to help get information and favours in a disproportionate assets case against an Indian Revenue Service officer,Vivek Batra. He is also an accused in the case.
The FIR alleges that Tiwari was in contact with certain officers of the CBI’s Anti-Corruption Branch-III. Five officers of the unit, including those belonging to the rank of the Deputy Superintendent of Police, Inspector and Sub-Inspector, have been examined so far to determine identities of those involved.
Mr. Kochar had allegedly sought favours pertaining to the FIR lodged by the CBI on July 26, 2017, against IRS officer Vivek Batra, then posted with Mumbai’s Income Tax Department and others.
It is alleged that the IRS officer invested huge money in Mr. Kochar’s Viraj Profiles. However, the CBI’s major concern is that a recent amendment to the Prevention of Corruption Act, introduced ostensibly to protect honest serving and retired government functionaries, will make it difficult for the agency to take forward the probe against these top officials.
The amendment makes it mandatory for the probing agencies to take prior approval from competent authority before initiating investigations against public servants.
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