Ad scam: CID can begin inquiry as Lokayukta continues probe

CID waits for FIR from Lokayukta cops; govt may or may not accept report

A month after the government asked the CID to inquire into the multi-crore advertisement scam in the BBMP, it has emerged that the Lokayukta could still continue and complete the ongoing investigation into the scam.

Based on a report by K Mathai, BBMP assistant commissioner (advertisements), the government (on January 22, 2016) ordered a CID inquiry into the Rs 2,000-crore scam.
“The government asked the CID to just inquire and report,” a senior police officer said, pointing out that “nowhere had the government asked the Lokayukta to stop the probe.”  
“The government has no power to ask the Lokayukta to stop investigation into the scam. Such a directive has to come from the court,” the official explained.

Even if the CID goes ahead and conducts an inquiry into the scam, the Lokayukta police can simultaneously continue the investigation.

Inquiry implies just reporting the facts to the government, while investigation includes filing charge sheet and a trial by the court.

A senior police official said that the government wanted just an “inquiry” and not “investigation” into the scam.

“Had the government asked for a CID investigation, it would have become a tricky issue as no two parallel investigations can be held into the same case,” he pointed out.

Earlier, there was a view that no two First Investigation Reports (FIRs) could be registered for the same case or no two parallel investigations could be done by two agencies into the scam.

“There is no need to file an FIR for just an inquiry. It, however, is a must to register an FIR to investigate the scam,” the officer clarified.
DH News Service