Court witnesses verbal duel between two investigating officers in CBI bribery case

Aamir.khan2@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:29.02.2020

A war of words broke out in a special CBI court on Friday between two investigating officers (IO) in the bribery case in which former CBI director Rakesh Asthana was given a clean chit recently. While former IO A K Bassi, appearing after a direction, accused current IO Satish Dagar of shielding “big names” despite clinching evidence, Dagar retorted saying Bassi was acting on a “presumption” and never showed up when asked to assist in the probe on multiple occasions.

Appearing before special CBI judge Sanjeev Aggarwal, Dagar accused Bassi of making “personal allegations”. The judge, after hearing both men, intervened and remarked, “Don’t wash your dirty linen in public.” He also said that both officials would be called in future, if required, but not together.

CBI had recently filed a chargesheet concluding that there was no connection between Asthana and the alleged middleman Manoj Prasad, and no evidence to prove that the former CBI director ever demanded or received a bribe to save Hyderabad-based businessman Satish Babu Sana in amoney laundering case related to meat exporter Moin Qureshi.

During the proceedings, however, the court inquired about the status of investigation in the Moin Qureshi case. “Two guardian angels of CBI are involved in the case... How much time will you take to investigate the Moin Qureshi case where the two guardian angels, the two bosses, are involved? That case is Bhagirathi (sic),” the court remarked.

Earlier, Bassi claimed that on the day he handed over the charge of the bribery case, he was accused of filing a false FIR against Asthana. “The clinching evidence present in phone of Rakesh Asthana was never seized. From day one, he (Dagar) is working to give clean chit to Rakesh Asthana… There are WhatsApp messages.”

The former IO also claimed that nothing was asked about the messages lying in Prasad’s mobile phone. “When Sunil Mittal (Prasad’s father-in-law) was examined, he was under the influence of alcohol as per the CFSL report,” he added.

Mittal and Prasad’s brother Someshwar Srivastava are also involved in the case.

Following Bassi’s statements, Dagar responded: “And how does he know about all this? We would definitely like to know. How is he infiltrating the investigation?”

When Bassi said the details were in the newspapers, Dagar countered by saying “it never came out in newspapers”.

Full report on www.toi.in

Fourth Nirbhaya convict files curative plea in apex court
TIMES NEWS NETWORK

29.02.2020

New Delhi: Pawan Kumar Gupta  , one of the four death row convicts in the 2012 Nirbhaya gangrape-cum-murder case, filed a curative plea in the Supreme Court on Friday seeking commutation of his capital punishment to life imprisonment.

Gupta is the only among the four not have exhausted his legal remedies. After the curative plea, he is also entitled to file mercy plea to the President. The apex court had rejected curative pleas of the three other convicts.

The trial court on February 17 issued fresh date for execution of death warrants for March 3 at 6 am for the four convicts -- Mukesh Kumar Singh (32), Pawan Gupta (25), Vinay Kumar Sharma (26) and Akshay Kumar (31).

The mercy petitions of three convicts -- Mukesh, Vinay and Akshay -- have already been dismissed by the President. The apex court had also dismissed separate pleas filed by Mukesh and Vinay challenging the rejection of their mercy petitions by the President. Akshay has not yet challenged the rejection of his mercy petition.

Dismissing the plea of Mukesh and Vinay against rejection of their mercy plea, the apex court had said that there was no illegality in the decision of the President in rejecting their plea and dismissed their contention that the President was not supplied with all the relevant documents pertaining to the case and that their mercy plea was decided with a ‘pre-determined mind’ and without application of mind.

Man gets death sentence in 2016 triple murder case

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Tenkasi:29.02.2020

A 36-year-old man, who was found guilty of committing a triple murder in 2016, has been awarded death sentence by the Tenkasi additional district court on Friday.

The accused, N Muthuraj alias Andavar of Nettur village near Alangulam in Tenkasi district murdered M Pechithaye, 48, her daughter M Mari, 19, and Pechithaye’s father, Govindasamy, 75, on February 16, 2016.

Additional public prosecutor (APP) S Ramachandran told TOI that Muthuraj, a rowdy element had many cases registered against him. He was in jail in connection with another case and was released only about a week before he committed the brutal murders.

According to him, on February 12, 2016, Muthuraj tried to misbehave with the 21-year-old eldest daughter of Pechithaye. The latter lodged a complaint with the Alangulam DSP. On February 16, at around 3.45pm, when Pechithaye and a few other women who are fellow workers under the Mahatma Gandhi national rural employment guarantee scheme, were returning home on the Thenvadal main road, Muthuraj picked up a quarrel with her for lodging the police complaint.

He then attacked her with a machete resulting in her death. “He also attacked Pechithaye’s younger daughter Mari when she tried to protect her mother. Not content, he went to the village and murdered Govindasamy, who was grazing his cattle, by attacking him multiple times with the machete,” Ramachandran said.

The Alangulam police registered a case under sections 302 (punishment for murder), 341(punishment for wrongful restraint) and 506(ii) (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code and the case was tried before the Tenkasi additional district court. “Though there were many eyewitnesses, some women turned hostile as the accused threatened them in the court,” Ramachandran said.

However, Pechithaye’s brother Murugan, 25, and his friend Govindasamy testified against Muthuraj.

Salem medical college fined over waste disposal

Shanmughasundaram.J@timesgroup.com

Chennai:29.02.2020

The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) has slapped a penalty of ₹1crore on a Salem-based medical college for improper disposal of biomedical waste, and filed a case against another medical college for a similar offence.

The board, in an action taken report, said it had also issued show-cause notices to six educational instituions in the district that had not obtained the mandatory clearances from the TNPCB.

The report was filed before the southern bench of the National Green Tribunal, which had sought it after hearing a petition from Environment Protection and Anti-Pollution Group Trust. The trust had alleged that the two medical colleges were discharging effluents in open drains and not disposing biomedical waste as per norms.

The TNPCB ordered eightyear-old Annapoorna Medical College and Hospital to remit Rs1 crore as performance guarantee and carry out corrective measures within the stipulated period. The TNPCB had directed it in June last year to obtain the necessary approvals within a month. Later, it extended the period for another three months. The hospital shall operate and maintain the effluent treatment plant and sewage treatment plant as per the TNPCB’s prescribed standard, maintain a log book for the operation and maintenance of the treatment plants and disposal of biomedical waste.

TNPCB joint chief environment engineer G Gopalakrishnan said in the report that Kirupananda Variyar Medical College and Hospital, which has 630 beds and generates 300 kilolitres a day of sewage and 5 kilolitres a day of trade effluent, has been functioning without obtaining approval from the pollution control board. It neither obtained authorization under the Biowaste Management Rules, 2016, nor got consent under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1984, and The Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981. A case is pending in the local judicial magistrate court.

Dean of Annapoorna Medical College and Hospital Dr Shanmugam said that they had moved court to reduce the penalty. Chief of Kirupananda Variyar Medical College Dr Prakasam said they had taken corrective measures and submitted all reports to the TNPCB.

(With input from Senthil Kumaran – Salem)

Former professor booked for making obscene remarks on social media
TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Puducherry:29.02.2020

The CB-CID police have booked a retired Pondicherry University professor for posting obscene remarks on a social media site about the chairwoman of the district-level complaints committee (DLCC) probing sexual harassment at workplace. DLCC chairwoman Vidyaa Ramkumar noticed the obscene remarks on Facebook and lodged a complaint with the cybercrime cell of the CB-CID.

The agency booked Pondicherry University retired Tamil professor S Arokianathan under Section 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) of the Indian Penal Code and Section 67 (punishment for publishing or transmitting obscene material in electronic form) of the Information Technology Act.

In her complaint, Vidyaa said she was shocked to find derogatory remarks about her posted by the retired professor on Facebook. She said the contents of the post outraged the modesty of a woman. The remarks are sexually coloured, she said urging the CB-CID to initiate appropriate action against him.

TNPSC scam: Govt gives nod to prosecute tainted staff

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:29.02.2020

The Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission (TNPSC) on Friday informed the Madras high court that the state government has given sanction to prosecute government servants who are suspects in the Group-I services exam scam.

Counsel for TNPSC made the submission before a division bench of Justice R Subbiah and Justice R Pongiappan on a plea moved by Swapna, a transsexual candidate, alleging irregularities in the recruitment in 2015. The DMK has moved another plea seeking CBI probe into the allegations.

Recording the same, the bench directed the authorities to file their response to the plea moved by the DMK and adjourned the hearing.

Representing the DMK, senior counsel P Wilson said the scam was orchestrated by those in the highest level of the TNPSC in recruitment to 2016-17 Group-I services. The investigation officer was changed three times due to the pressure exerted by high level ministers, he added. Further, jurisdiction of state police over the TNPSC is questionable, he said, pressing for a CBI probe.

CAN ADMIT PATIENTS UNDER CMCHISTN

Hospital that admitted to bribing back on govt panel

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:29.02.2020

The state health department has brought back Gleneagles Global Hospitals into the list of empanelled hospitals under the state health insurance scheme, three months after it suspended the hospital citing “moral hazard” and “publicinterest”. The temporary suspension was following reports that it offered money to ambulance drivers and paramedics for bringing patients to its facility.

Incidentally, an inquiry committee appointed by the state health department in its report said that the hospital admitted to paying money to some drivers and paramedics. The letters to Directorate of Medical Services recommending action under the Clinical Establishments Act andtostatetransplant authority, Transtan for “suspension of transplant licence” are still pending. But more than two weeks ago, the state revoked the “suspension”. “Action based on the inquiry is still pending action,” senior health department official said.

The officials in the health department refused to comment further, but a Global Hospital spokesman said one of the hospital employees was found paying money to get patients into the hospital.

“We have removed him from the company rolls. We told the government he does not work with us anymore. After the inquiry, we were allowed to treat patients covered by the state health insurance scheme,” he said.

In September, former employees of the hospital complained to the government that the hospital was offering money to ambulance drivers and paramedics to bring patients including road accident victims into their emergency room. They told TOI that cash they gave to drivers soon after the drop ranged between ₹700 and ₹5,000 and the hospital transfers a percentage of the total bill as commission after the patient is discharged, they said, showing ‘entries’ of ₹45,000 shown as being deposited into back accounts of some EMRI staff.

A fortnight later, GVKEmergency Management and Research Institute, an agency outsourced by the health department to run 108 ambulances, dismissed10 of its contract employees and placed nine other permanent employees on suspension after an internal inquiry against its drivers and paramedics.

Almost simultaneously, the health department ordered a detailed inquiry by a team of officials and suspended the hospital from empanelled list of hospitals for the chief minister’s comprehensive health insurance scheme of Tamil Nadu (CMCHISTN ).