Faisal Fareed
Daijiworld Media Network - Lucknow

Lucknow, Nov 28: With nearly half a dozen ministers losing their berth after being indicted by Lokayukta in the state, another complaint was filed by one social activist and convener of National RTI Forum against Kunwar Fateh Bahadur, principal secretary (home) and R N Singh, ADG, Economic Offences Wing, UP.

The complaint is as regards to two investigations in the Economic Offences Wing in which these two officers, in connivance with other officers of the Economic Offences Wing had tried to wrongfully help some influential accused in two very serious cases of financial fraud and bungling. In one of the case related with Messrs Sri Acid Company Limited, Amroha, the directors of this Company had allegedly swindled subsidy of Rs 32.61 lac during the year 1998-2000 while in the other, the directors of Messrs Amroha Fin Company  had cheated the poor and helpless share-holders to the tune of around  Rs 45.99 lac.

In the case related with Sri Acid Limited, case no 83/04 u/s 420/467/468/471/477A IPC  was investigated by EOW and after investigation it was found that this Company had purchased 2269.81 metric tonne of rock phosphate from Sri Ram Traders, Lalitpur only on paper and on its basis, it had fraudulently shown a production of 4203 metric tonne SSP Fertilizer. In the process M/s Sri Acid Limited swindled a subsidy of Rs 32.61 lac. Based on these facts the ADG, EOW sent his report to the Home Department, Uttar Pradesh dated 24 December 2009 where it found two brothers Ravi Mittal and Sandeep Mittal accused u/s 420/467/468/ 471/477A IPC. Sandeep Mittal approached Kunwar Fateh Bahadur again and again to get himself exonerated from this case but EOW sent its report repeatedly saying that both the brothers were equally responsible for the criminal act.

Finally the SP, EOW, Meerut again sent his report dated June 2011 where he said that both the brothers are accused but R N Singh, on his own changed this report without any substantial basis where he declared Sandeep Mittal innocent. Home Department under Fateh Bahadur immediately accepted this report while the previous reports were pending since 24 December 2009.

In the second case, EOW investigated the case No 81/07 u/s 420, 467, 468, 471 IPC with regards to M/s Amroha Tradefin Limited which was alleged to have cheated many investors of crores of rupees through false promises. All four directors of the Company were named as accused.

EOW investigated this case and finally the ADG, EOW sent his report dated 21 August 2009 where all the four company directors Ashok Kumar Jain, Ajay Tandon, Pankaj Mittal and Ajay Chauhan were found guilty of cheating the public of Rs. 45,99,893. Thus a charge sheet u/s 406/420 IPC was recommended against them.

Here, Ajay Tandon approached Kunwar Fateh Bahadur  who asked for reinvestigation of matter again and again. EOW went on taking the same stand every time naming all the four directors as accused but finally R N Singh as ADG, EOW, asked the Meerut sector to send a final report on the matter which the officers there refused. Then R N Singh got the case transferred to headquarter sector and got the case closed under his intense pressure. He sent the report to the State government which immediately accepted his report while the previous report was pending for two years. The reason given for sending the final report was that section 45Q of the Reserve Bank of India Act prohibited application of any section of IPC in this case, while the truth is that section 45Q nowhere prohibits application of the sections of the Indian Penal Code.

Whoever came in the way of these wrongful dictates of these senior officers were taken to task. Thus Amitabh Thakur, SP, EOW, Meerut sector was suddenly transferred on 12 October 2011 and relieved unilaterally, the investigating officer Kalu Ram Sharma was attached to Ballia Food scam on 19 October  and Sanjay Srivastava, the Head Clerk in the EOW headquarters was suspended on 29 October.

Dr Nutan Thakur has placed all these facts in her complaint and has asked the Lokayukta to undertake a detailed enquiry in these allegations and take suitable action against those found guilty.

Further to it, Lokayukta Justice (retd) NK Mehrotra gave another recommendation against one Ambedkar Village Development minister Ratan Lal Ahirwar for his involvement in disproportionate assets on Monday.