Court rejects CBI closure report in Vincent George assets case
Rahul Tripathi : New Delhi, Wed Jul 24 2013, 03:02 hrsRejecting the CBI's decision to close the disproportionate assets case against Congress president Sonia Gandhi's former personal secretary Vincent George, a special CBI court last week issued notice to him to appear before the court. George remains Sonia's close aide.
Taking cognizance of the CBI's closure report, the court also sought details from the agency on filing of the report. The CBI has claimed that no evidence was found to substantiate the charges against George as there was no response from the US to its letters rogatory.
George will now have to appear before the court to explain details given in the CBI's closure report, which mentions his bank accounts, gifts and donations received by him.
The CBI had registered the case against George in 2001, charging him with amassing assets beyond his known sources of income.
According to the CBI, the assets of George and his family showed a quantum increase after 1990. His properties included houses and shops in South Delhi, a house in Bangalore, a plot in Chennai, land in Kerala and farmland on Delhi's outskirts. He was found to have over Rs 1.5 crore in his bank accounts.
The CBI said the purchase of assets was facilitated by huge "cash gifts" from abroad, which George claimed were from his family members. In 2002, letters rogatory were sent to the US. A top CBI official said there was no response from the US.
CBI clean chit to Vincent George another example of misuse, says BJP
PTI : Panaji, Sat Jun 08 2013, 19:44 hrs
Hitting out at the Centre, BJP today said the clean chit to Vincent George, aide of Sonia Gandhi, in a disproportionate assets case, is another example of "use, abuse and misuse" of CBI and charged that it is using the premier agency to wind-up cases against its people.
"The clean chit to Vincent George by the CBI is yet another example of the political misuse of the agency by the Congress. It has used, abused and misused CBI," BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar told reporters here.
A case of alleged disproportionate assets against George has been closed by CBI citing insufficient evidence.
The CBI case was that George had allegedly amassed huge wealth after 1990 which included commercial and residential properties in posh South Delhi area, properties in Bangalore, Chennai, Kerala and agriculture land bordering Delhi besides cash of over Rs 1.5 crore in bank accounts.
CBI sources said the agency had sent judicial request to the United States seeking details of remittances which were allegedly received by George but it got only part information which could not be translated as evidence.
Javadekar said several scams are being probed by CBI which has tried to protect Congress leaders and ministers allegedly involved in them.
"This is becoming more rampant now as this is the last year of Congress rule and it is time for farewell," Javadekar said.
In his inaugural speech at the BJP National Executive, party president Rajnath Singh also alleged that the government has misused Constitutional institutions including the CBI.
Referring to the case of alleged vetting of the CBI status report on the coal scam, Singh said while the Supreme Court had directed that the report should not be shared with anybody except the court but still the then Law Minister had made changes in it.
"But the UPA government arm-twisted the CBI not only to share its report with the PMO officials and then the Law Minister also changed its content," Singh said.
BJP alleged that the UPA government has misused all constitutional institutions and posts without any hesitation, from CBI and CVC to the post of Governor or the appointments to the NHRC.
BJP was also critical of the kind of language used by some Congress spokespersons while attacking the opposition.
Asked about Congress spokesperson Renuka Chowdhury's remarks on the reported rift between Narendra Modi and L K Advani, Javadekar said, "All this is Modi-phobia which is being spelt out by the Congress in such a filthy language.
"Chowdhury had said that "Namonitis", a virus, had gripped BJP's national executive.
CBI sources said the agency had sent judicial request to the US seeking details of remittances which were allegedly received by George but it got only part information which could not be translated as evidence.
Following these part responses, CBI moved Tis Hazari court on May 23 filing for withdrawal of case.
The sources said these transactions were suspected to be linked to hawala operations as the alleged illegal gratifications were first taken abroad and returned as gifts which was white money for George.
CBI had also sought details of "business transactions" by two firms which were allegedly run by George's wife as they were suspected to be another route for converting alleged illicit wealth into white money.
The agency sources said the agency had pursued with the US authorities since 2002 to furnish the information but the part information resulted in withdrawal of the case.