NGO Centre for Public Interest Litigation Thursday moved the Supreme Court alleging that CBI officers were engaged in diluting the findings of their own investigators against Loop Telecom in the 2G case.
The application also alleged interference by Law and Justice Minister Salman Khurshid while referring to his statement in which he allegedly gave a clean chit to Essar Group.
Alleging interference by CBI Director AP Singh and its Director of Prosecution Abdul Aziz, the application moved by the CPIL said that "the investigation officers dealing in the case had found strong evidence in the case and had reportedly proposed charges even under the Prevention of Corruption Act" against certain department of telecommunications officials and accused, but the it was turned down by the two top officials.
Besides the alleged dilution of charges by the CBI against Loop Telecom, the CPIL alleged that the investigating agency was going slow in its probe on the alleged "corruption and misuse of official position" by former telecom minister Dayanidhi Maran in the Maxi groups's accusation of Aircel telecom company.
The CBI filed a first information report (FIR) Oct 9 and even searched the premises of Maran the next day but since then over two months have passed and "the CBI is deliberately going slow in the case and has not made any arrests".
The CPIL said that "this was the most clear-cut case of corruption and quid pro quo, and is being made weak by the CBI".
The application alleged that Aziz who has now withdrawn himself from the case was in the conflict of interest situation as his son was employed in Essar-Loop group. Even though Aziz "recused himself belatedly from the case. Despite this his opinion was factored in during decision making".
"Giving a clean chit to the companies, he (Aziz) said that this was merely a contractual violation," the application said.
The CPIL said that the charge sheet involving Loop Telecom only invoked penal provisions related to criminal conspiracy and cheating against the accused.
The CBI had filed its third supplementary charge sheet in 2G case against Loop Telecom Monday.
The CBI Director Singh, the application said partially differed with the observations of Aziz and observed that a case of cheating and conspiracy is made out against the companies, their promoters and private people.
However, he agreed with Aziz that no case is made out under the Prevention of Corruption Act and against public servants.
