Bardhan seeks PM's intervention in IFS officer harassment case

Referring to the the recommendation of a two-member central government panel for a CBI probe into the "harassment" suffered by the 2002 batch Indian Forest Service officer Sanjiv Chaturvedi at the hands of "powerful vested interests" in the state, Bardhan citing media reports alleged that Ramesh "is dithering on CBI probe into the matter."

"I have come to know from the media reports that Jairam Ramesh is dithering on CBI probe into the matter, inspite of clear refusal of the Haryana Government to probe the case, which has even questioned the intent of the Union Government into the matter, as per the reports," the party General Secretary said in a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh dated April 18.

Bardhan, who earlier wrote to Prime Minister on the same issue in February this year, also pointed out the reports that some senior bureaucrats of the Environment Ministry are involved in whittling down the demand for a CBI enquiry.

The Communist leader observed that the case has become very prominent one, in view of the extensive media coverage and any action taken into this case would have a far reaching implications on the morale of honest bureaucrats.

"I request you to kindly rise above any party considerations in this case and take the decision like a statesman, as the problem of corruption has infected the entire system like an epidemic and it would not be cured unless certain surgical actions are taken," he wrote. "Therefore, I once again request you to kindly ensure that the case is immediately referred to CBI for investigation, so that the guilty persons could be brought to book, at the earliest," Bardhan added.

Last month, Ramesh had said that the government was going "stepwise" on the recommendation of the two-member Ministry panel that had brought out vivid details of the harassment suffered by  Chaturvedi, including at the hands of the Chief Minister's office and then forest minister Kiran Chaudhary.

It was alleged that harassment of Chaturvedi included frequent transfers -- 12 in five years, suspension and fabricated charge sheet for exposing large-scale irregularities in various projects, development of herbal park on private land belonging to politically influential persons and preventing the destruction of Saraswati Wildlife Sanctuary from influential contractors.

Chaturvedi's suspension was revoked by President Pratibha Patil in January following submission of the report by the committee headed by Inspector General of Forests A K Shrivastava and AIG Shally Ranjan.