JOIN USCBI continues raids in corporate espionage case
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday searched the offices of a law firm and a chartered accountant in Mumbai in connection with its probe into the sale of confidential documents on government policy to business houses.
The search comes following the probe agencies suspicion that more officials and corporates are involved.
Searches were conducted at the office of Chitale Law Associates, based in Worli, and Mitesh J Majithia, a chartered account, who were in touch with chartered accountant Khemchand Gandhi for documents, said a senior CBI official.
Interrogation of the three arrested—Gandhi, Undersecretary in the Department of Disinvestment and Grievances Ashok Kumar Singh, and Section Officer in the Department of Economic Affairs Lala Ram Sharma—and follow-up investigations have suggested that the initial level of the Finance and Commerce Ministries' decision-making process was compromised at “high premium”.
Investigations have also shown that the officials send documents through courier and emails, said sources.
The names of some more officials of the Finance and Commerce Ministries and about five corporate groups have cropped up during the probe.
Recovered documents
Sources said they have recovered copies of proposals before the FIPB, minutes of meetings, and internal notings of files stored in computers, laptops and mobile phones.
The CBI has also intercepted copies of confidential documents sent through courier from Delhi by officials to Gandhi.
While it had recovered confidential documents and Rs 60 lakh cash from the residence of Gandhi on Thursday, the searches on Friday yielded several more confidential documents and file notings related to foreign investment policies.
Singh, the undersecretary, was handling matters related to foreign investment policy and using two email accounts to send information to Gandhi. The gang had been operating for about two years.
While Singh and Sharma were produced before a Delhi court, Gandhi was produced
in a Mumbai court for transit remand. Singh and Sharma were sent to five days’ CBI
custody.
The agency told Special CBI Judge S C Rajan in Delhi that Gandhi would be brought to Delhi in transit remand for confronting him with the two accused.
“Keeping in view the gravity of the allegations against both the accused, I allow the application and grant five-day police custody remand of both,” said the judge.