CBI awaiting sanction to prosecute allegedly corrupt MPs, bureaucrats for months: CVC data

The CBI is awaiting sanction for over four months to prosecute three sitting Lok Sabha MPs, bureaucrats and bank officials for alleged corruption, according to the latest CVC data.

As many as 58 cases involving over 130 allegedly corrupt legislators and serving and retired government officials are awaiting sanction for prosecution from their respective organisations, it said.

According to the norm, sanction for prosecution has to be decided within four months.

The highest nine cases are pending with the Ministry of Personnel, the nodal department for anti-corruption matters, eight with Corporation Bank and six with the Uttar Pradesh government, said the Central Vigilance Commission data, updated on November 30, 2019.

Four cases each are pending with Punjab National Bank and Bank of Baroda, three with Defence Ministry and two each with Railway Ministry, Bihar government and Jammu and Kashmir government (now Union territory).

The Central Bureau of Investigation is awaiting sanction to prosecute three sitting MPs — Saugata Roy, Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar and Prasun Banerjee — and a former MP, Suvenu Adhikari, from Lok Sabha since April 6, 2019, it said.

Roy, Ghosh and Banerjee are Lok Sabha members of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee-led All India Trinamool Congress. Adhikari is now the transport minister in the West Bengal government.

The investigation agency is also waiting for the sanction to prosecute Naseem Ahmad, a former vice chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University. The CBI has sought the clearance to prosecute Ahmad from the Ministry of Human Resources and Development on October 23, 2018.

One case involving a registrar and an advocate is awaiting sanction for prosecution from the Delhi government. The CBI has sought the permission to prosecute these two officials on January 22 last year.

There are also other cases involving public servants which are stuck without the sanction for prosecution.