JOIN USCBI ex-chief was in touch with meat exporter, SC told
The Centre on Friday submitted before the Supreme Court that former CBI director A P Singh, now a member of the Union Public Service Commission, was in touch with a meat-exporter businessman and allegedly colluded with him to fix chief ministers and other public functionaries as disclosed in a probe by the Income Tax (I-T) department.
Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi made the assertion before a three-judge bench presided over by Justice Madan B Lokur, which sought production of I-T probe report, following a plea made by NGO “Common Cause” for recusal of CBI director Ranjit Sinha from coal scam case due to his frequent meeting with businessman Moin Qureshi.
On September 19, the court asked Rohatgi to clarify its stand on allegations made against Sinha on the basis of purported visitors’ diary of his residence here and produce records relating to probe by I-T authorities against Qureshi, who allegedly met the officer 90 times at this residence.
Advocate Prashant Bhushan, representing the NGO, had claimed that he has received information that the I-T probe, too, has allegedly revealed “dealings of Qureshi with CBI director Ranjit Sinha”. It may be recalled that Sinha had written to the Central Board of Direct Taxes seeking a report on the I-T probe against Qureshi, but it was denied to him.
However, Qureshi’s proximity to former CBI director A P Singh has already come out in the public domain.
Presenting three-volume status reports in sealed cover, Rohatgi said: “It discloses astonishing state of affairs between Qureshi and ex-CBI director. It was wholly unbecoming of his position. The messages were exchanged between them on daily basis. I am pained to say they discussed files pertaining to cases against chief ministers, may be to help the accused.”
“There is no conversation between Qureshi and the present CBI director.
There may be some innuendo referring to the present CBI director but there is no direct conversation,” he said, contrary to assertions made by Bhushan.
The bench, also comprising Justices Kurian Joseph and A K Sikri, adjourned the plea filed by Bhushan for consideration on December 8 as the court said it wanted time to read the I-T report.