Sabotaging CBI : A Nightwatchman’s wet dream.

The cold climate of Delhi suddenly became suddenly hot on the night of 21 October 2018.  Too many events took place which changed the course and shape of India’s premier investigative agency, the Central Bureau of Investigation or CBI.The congress party, in its press release, describes the events of 21^st night as “Midnight Intrigue, Sinister Plot & Nefarious Conspiracy of a collusive subterfuge between Modi Govt & Central Vigilance Commission. As per the congress press release and verification from multiple sources, the events of the fateful 21^st night, unfolded in the following time-line.

CVC, Shri K V Chowdary was scheduled to go on a tour to Denmark on 23^rd October in the evening. He abruptly cancels his tour and holds a meeting of a Central Vigilance Commission at night.

11:00 PM: Shri M Nageshwar Rao, Joint Director, CBI was sent to CBI headquarter in anticipation of the CVC order.

11:30 PM: Delhi Police Commissioner calls his subordinates to alert to their men for an urgent midnight operation. Rendezvous Point is given as Khan Market, New Delhi.

12:00 AM At 12:00 AM (at night) Delhi Police Commissioner receives instructions from NSA and briefs Delhi Police officers for taking over the CBI headquarter by Delhi Police.

12:30 AM (at night) – As Delhi Police attempts to take control at CBI headquarter, they are stopped by CISF. CP Delhi speaks to head of CISF, who also receives instructions from PMO/NSA to permit Delhi Police takeover of CBI. Delhi Police then takes control of CBI.

8:00 PM to 12:30 AM – CVC his two colleagues draft the order under Section 8(1) of CVC Act, 2003 for removal of Shri Alok Verma as Director, CBI by ‘divesting him of all duties’.

12:30 AM – 1:00 AM- CVC order is taken to North Block, where Secretary Personnel, Shri C Chandramouli is waiting as per instructions of PMO.

Shri C.Chandramouli then rushes to PMO. Cabinet Committee on Appointments headed by Prime Minister, then, gives approval to remove Shri Alok Verma as CBI Director and appoint, Shri M Nageshwar Rao as the new CBI Director.

CVC and Additional Secretary, DoPT, Shri Lok Ranjan, then visits the CBI headquarters.

2:30 AM – CVC, Additional Secretary, DoPT, Shri Lok Ranjan, Joint Director, Shri Nageshwar Rao come out of the CBI headquarters with files and records.

2:30 AM – Orders are served on Shri Alok Verma.

This was the thriller of events which any Bollywood thriller would be put to shame to.

Several theories are being floated by various online and print outlets about the urgency to move for the kill in midnight.  Congress President Rahul Gandhi made a direct attack on Modi that to save himself from Rafale probe, Modi removed the incumbent Director and installed a ‘corrupt official’, read Nageswara Rao.  In a press conference he said, “incriminating evidence could be acquired by sealing his room”. Understand the PM’s mental state. He knows the day CBI starts a probe, that day he would be finished. So this reaction that you see from the PM is a panic reaction. It is taken out of fear and is actually irrational” he said.

Immediately after taking over as interim CBI Director, Nageswara Rao, transferred more than 11 officers across various parts of the country.  Most of these officers were probing corruption charges against Modi’s blue eyed boy Rakesh Asthana.

The transfer list includes Ajay Bassi, deputy superintendent of police (Dy SP) who has been transferred to Port Blair. He was heading the Asthana case. Another officer working on Asthana case SS Gum, additional SP, has been transferred to Jabalpur. The transfer list also includes the most senior officer AK Sharma, joint director. Asthana had alleged that Sharma was close to Verma. A Sai Manohar, joint director, will be heading a special investigation team of the CBI. V Murgesan, joint director, had been assigned to look into the Asthana bribery and extortion case.

Simply put, Nageswara Rao, through these transfer orders ensured that, the case registered against CBI’s Special Director & Modi’s henchman Rakesh Asthana never sees the light of the day.

As the day dawned, media caught hold of these developments and started probing. To control the damage, government came up with a press release defending the midnight transfers.

It said “The CVC, on receipt of a complaint on 24th August, 2018 containing various allegations against the senior functionaries of the CBI has served three separate notices (under section 11 of CVC Act, 2003) on 11th September, 2018 upon the Director, CBI to produce files and documents before the Commission on 14″‘ September, 2018. Various opportunities have been given to produce such records and after several adjournments, though CBI assured the Commission on 24th September, 2018 to furnish the records within three weeks. Despite repeated assurances and reminders, the Director, CBI failed to furnish the records / files before the Commission. The CVC has observed that Director, CBI has not been cooperating in making available records / files sought by the Commission relating to serious allegations.”

This may sound far and in fact earnest.  A plain reading of the press release will give an impression that Modi is indeed very eager to root out corruption even in CBI.  But here comes the catch.

The person he has chosen to replace Alok Varma, is Nageswara Rao,  a crook of the first order.

Nageswara Rao, IPS & his wife Mannem Sandhya

Nageswara Rao always had a chequered career.  According to a detailed report in The Wire, as, SP of  Nabrangpur district in Odisha, Nageswara Rao was alleged to have circulated a letter among the headmasters of government schools urging them to discourage the students against religious conversion, an issue close to the hearts of the Sangh parivar cadres.  His letter dated 4, March 1994, targeted the minority groups in the area and sought to tacitly propagate an anti-minority feeling among children, reports The Wire.

Subsequently in the year 1998, when he was Vice-Chairman of Behrampur Development Authority, Nageswara Rao almost reflected the thoughts of second Sarsangchalak, MS.Golwalkar, reports The Wire.

In an event organised on, December 10, 1998, an NGO named “The Humane”, he has reportedly spoken that, “Muslims, Christians and Marxists were the biggest threat to human rights”.  An Odiya newspaper, Anupam Bharat had reported about his speech. Nageswara Rao, in the event had spoken that, “these forces believe in violence and are intolerant of others. Christians and Muslims do not respect any sacred text other than the Bible and the Quran. They give primacy to their religion over the nation. They lure and convert people by offering incentives.

Christians and Muslims form a very small part of the Indian population and their contribution to the country’s revenue is negligible. Taxes collected from Hindus getting deployed for the benefit of minorities is a violation of human rights”

He further said, “although 95% of the Constituent Assembly members were Hindus, they did not take any step to protect the interests of the majority community. This benefitted the minorities. Jawaharlal Nehru is to blame for such a situation.”

Following his speech, an enquiry was conducted by the Revenue Authorities and DIG  of Police and he was shunted out of the post, after the enquiry proved him guilty of inflammatory speech.

According to Kishore Patnaik, State Secretary of CPI(M) Odisha, “Nageswara Rao’s most damaging decision came in 2008 during the Kandhamal riots. As Inspector General (IG) of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Rao was in Kandhamal district during the communal riots in 2008. Immediately after taking charge, he passed an order restricting the movement of CRPF platoons between 6 in the evening to 6 in the morning. The lack of security allowed the violent miscreants of the Sangh parivar to continue arson and rioting against the Christians during the night hours. A proper enquiry can easily reveal his misdeed in Kandhamal district.”

A recent Economic Times report, further elaborates his Hindu fundamentalist links and his close association with BJP leader Ram Madhav. According to the report, “Rao is said to have been among the seven key people who helped formulate the Charter of Key Hindu Demands that was issued by a group of activists and scholars on September 23 and which they said would be presented to the Prime Minister soon. The genesis of this was an August 25 event organised by the Srijan Foundation at Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (Intach) in New Delhi that Rao attended.”.  When asked about Nageswara Rao’s presence in the event, Srijan Foundation founder and tech entrepreneur Rahul Dewan  confirmed his presence at the first two meetings in August and September but he said he had no role to play in the final draft.

It is natural that Narendra Modi, thought Nageswara Rao as the fit person to run CBI

CBI has a meticulous method of verification before inducting officers, particularly officers of and above the rank of Superintendent of Police.   The vetting process is so thorough, information about the antecedents / reputation of the officer is collected various sources, from all the places the concerned officer had served.

When Nageswara Rao was heading the Odisha Fire Services, Home Guards & Civil Defence department, he introduced new yellow colour uniforms to the fire service personnel.  This was done without the approval of either the DGP or the Home Department.  Audit raised an objection and Rao’s successor, Binoy Behra sent a report to the Home Department seeking a vigilance enquiry against Rao.ToI link

Only at this juncture, in 2015, when he was facing corruption charges by the Odisha anti-corruption unit, Nageswara Rao was inducted into CBI.  It was Venkaiyah Naidu, former Union Minister and now Vice-President, who had always been the god father of Rao.  Due to the Telugu connection and various “helps” provided by Rao, Naidu had always backed Rao, and he ensured Nageswara Rao’s induction into CBI, despite objections by the Special Unit of CBI, say sources.

In April 2016, Nageswara Rao was posted as Joint Director, for Chennai Zone.  His jurisdiction extended to TN, Pondicherry, AP, Telengana & Kerala.  Karanataka belongs to a different zone. Immediately after joining Rao understood the potential of making money in the CBI.  It was a new horizon for him.   His loot started the moment he set foot in Chennai Zone JD’s office at Egmore, Chennai.

Till the author of this article came to know that Nageswara Rao had received bribe in the VGN case and was about to file a closure report,  there was not much information coming forth.   After it was verified through multiple sources about the antecedents of Nageswara Rao, a detailed investigation was undertaken and the result is this article Nageswara Rao IPS : CBI’s black sheep.

Subsequent to this article, several pieces of information came up. The author vouches for the authenticity of the sources of these information.

A source report was developed by one of the Investigating Officers of Chennai branch of CBI against Thommanduru Hannah Vijayalakshmi @ TH.Vijayalakshmi, IRS, Commissioner of Income Tax (Audit), Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, Chennai.  Vijayalakshmi’s husband Audimulappu Suresh was an Indian Railway Accounts Service Officer.  He was a Deputy Financial Advisor and Chief Accounts Officer in Indian Railways.  Since he found the Railway service less lucrative, he resigned and joined politics.  He joined YSR Congress and became an MLA in 2009.

The couple had a total assets of Rs.1.35 crores as on 01.04.2010.   By, 29.02.2016, the couple’s assets grew to Rs.6.90 crores.

An Investigating Officer in Chennai CBI, developed a source report in January 2017 and sought orders for registration of an FIR.   Following verification, locations for conducting searches, witnesses and search teams were formed.   At this crucial juncture, the couple, approached Nageswara Rao, and requested to stall the proceedings.   Nageswara Rao, called for the file, retained it with himself, without passing any orders on it.   Due to the failure to conduct searches at the right time, crucial pieces of evidences were lost.

Some how, the information that MN.Rao is favouring the IRS officer reached Director CBI, and he issued stern instructions to register a case.

Rao directed, his blue-eyed boy, SP AT.Duraikumar, to register a case and a case was registered in Cr. No. RC 21A/MA01/2017 on 20.09.2017 and investigation was entrusted to an Inspector of Police D.Sridhar.   However, sources say, information was passed on to the Vijayalakshmi couple and they ensured all crucial pieces of evidences for investments & properties were destroyed.  The case is now nearing closure for lack of evidence, say sources.

A highly placed source in CBI says, a mere perusal of the file movement register of Nageswara Rao’s office during the crucial time, alone will prove the inordinate delay of this file in his office.

On 26  August 2012, one Edwin Raj, S/o Jayaraj was murdered by a mob led by Dharmaraj, District President of BJP, Kanyakumari armed with wooden logs.  The crime committed by Edwin Raj was participating in a prayer meeting organised by CSI Church, at Nadaikavu, Kanyakumari.   Edwin Raj, suffered head injury and died in front of his father.

Following the murder, the investigation of the case was transferred to CB.CID.  After investigation CB.CID filed charge sheet, against several accused except A.1, Dharmaraj,District President of BJP.  Jayaraj, father of the deceased, aggrieved by the deliberate attempt by CB.CID to protect the principal accused who instigated the murder, moved the Madurai Bench of the Madras HC to transfer the investigation to CBI.

Justice Vaidhyanathan of Madras HC, on 13 January 2016, transferred the investigation to CBI, by observing as follows : “A perusal of a status report filed by the CB-CID reveals that the case has been proceeded with as that of a case of petty nature. and it casts a doubt on the mind of this court. The respondent has not taken any serious steps to unearth as to whether the first accused was present in the scene of occurrence.

They have come to the conclusion of the non-involvement of the first accused in the crime based on the deposition of some witnesses. It is the bounden duty of the respondent to ensure whether there is any conspiracy in the alleged occurrence and the absence of the first accused in the spot alone is not sufficient to delink him from the charges”.

CBI took up investigation and the only job of the CBI was to find out whether A.1 Dharmaraj, District President of BJP, Kanyakumari was on town on the date of incident or now.  Rajah Balaji, IPS., who was heading the Special Crime Branch CBI, Chennai issued detailed instructions to the Investigating Officer in writing as to what all to be done to nab the accused.

Nageswara Rao got wind of this and was furious with Rajah Balaji.  Immediately, he transferred the murder case investigation from Special Crime Branch CBI, to Anti-Corruption Branch, Chennai.  It is to be noted here that, Special Crime Branch in CBI, is meant to investigate non-corruption cases.  Not satisfied with the transfer of investigation, Nageswara Rao, also transferred Rajah Balaji, SP, to Chandigarh.

Murder case accused & Kanyakumari BJP President with Union Minister Pon.Radhakrishnan

Murder case accused & Kanyakumari BJP President with Union Minister Nitin Gadkari

Nageswara Rao, then instructed ACB’s head DIG Thenmozhi to give an audience to Union Minister Pon.Radhakrishnan and self-styled ideologue, S.Gurumurthy and listen to their version of the murder case.  However, Thenmozhi firmly refused to meet them and in turn asked them to meet the Director, CBI, Pon.Radhakrishnan being a Union Minister, add sources.

An incensed Nageswara Rao, ensured that Thenmozhi was sent out on premature repatriation out of CBI, and the Dy. SP, Prabhu, who was probing the murder case also sent out of CBI.

Then, Nageswara Rao, transferred the investigation to one Kalaimani, an Additional SP, who is ensuring till date that there is no progress in the investigation.   So much for justice to the hapless father, who saw his son die in his lap, due to the attack by sanghi goons.

Nageswara Rao is arrogance personified.  After assuming charge as Joint Director of Chennai Zone of CBI, Nageswara Rao was allotted with No.C.2, CPWD Quarters in Haddows Road, Nungambakkam.   When Rao, occupied the house, the quarters opposite to his, C.3 was vacant.   Nageswara Rao, immediately ordered the CPWD Engineer to open the quarters and placed his furniture there.  He also instructed the Engineer that, he is occupying the quarters and directed him to show C.3 quarters as “under maintenance”, which the engineer complied.   However, other senior central government officers were mounting pressure on CPWD for quarters in Haddows Road, understanding that C.3 is vacant.  Haddows Road quarters is a much sort after quarters as most of the central government offices are situated in the next compound in Shastri Bhavan, and it is also situated in heart of Chennai.

When a senior CPWD Engineer, asked Rao to vacate C.3, Nageswara Rao got wild. He  devised a wicked plan to bring CPWD officials under his control.

Class.IV government officials sub-letting their allotted quarters is a routine thing in most of the states.   Though this can be termed as a misdemeanour warranting departmental disciplinary proceedings, it cannot be termed as a humongous crime warranting criminal prosecution by any stretch.

On 25.10.2017, M.Nageswara Rao ordered the registration of a criminal case in this regard and a case in Cr. No. RC.MA.1/2017/A 0024 against several central government servants who had sub-let their quarters.    The designation of the central government officials who were booked for such sub-letting are Mazdoor, Peon, Clerk, Chowkidar, Messenger, etc.  All the accused central government servants booked belong to Class.IV.

The quarters C.3, squatted by M.Nageswara Rao in Haddows Rao is of Type VI, a 4 bedroom flat with a carpet areat of 1500 sq. ft.  The average rent for such an accomodation in Haddows Road works out around 1.30 lakhs per month.   But, M.N.Rao registered FIR against peons, chowkidars and mazdoors whose Type II  accommodation in KK Nagar won’t even fetch more than 10k a month.

In this regard, an anonymous petition received by CPWD was forwarded to the Director, CBI, for further action and an explanation was sought from Nageswara Rao.  Under the guise of investigation in the above case, he harassed senior CPWD officials, till they begged for mercy.

This is the history of the Gem, Narendra Modi chose to appoint as Director, CBI in a midnight coup.

Now let’s come back to the Government’s press release. It reads “The CVC, on receipt of a complaint on 24th August, 2018 containing various allegations against the senior functionaries of the CBI has served three separate notices (under section 11 of CVC Act, 2003) on 11th September, 2018 upon the Director, CBI to produce files and documents before the Commission on 14″‘ September, 2018”

If the CVC is so swift in causing enquiry & removing the Director, CBI on a complaint dated 24^th August 2018, what was Mr.KV.Chaudhary, doing on the report by Director, CBI, on the 2 complaints sent by this author in which he has given a proved report  ?

It is pertinent to note here that senior advocate Prasanth Bushan had challenged the appointment of KV.Chaudhary as CVC, CBI was probing his role in the 1100 crore, “stock guru scam” and his name figured in the visitors list of former CBI Director Ranjit Sinha, and later the probe was closed.  Chaudhary was also alleged to have favoured businessman Ponty Chadha in a 200 crore tax evasion case.

KV.Chaudhary

Ever since he assumed power, Narendra Modi has been systematically dismantling and destroying glorious institution from Central Universities, IITs, Film Institutes, Election Commission, Enforcement Directorate, Judiciary and now CBI.

Narendra Modi imagines himself as ace cricketer Don Bradman, who can bat all five days in a Test match, and thus destroy meticulously built institutions of glory.

Can anyone do more damage to the judiciary than what Indira Gandhi did during emergency ? Has not the judiciary resurrected its glory, including reversing of ADM Jabalpur case ?

Narendra Modi is no Don Bradman. He is just a “Nightwatchman” who is having wet dreams.  India and her institutions will survive and thrive irrespective of the damage being done by a wet-dreaming Nightwatchman.

P.S :

The charges made by Savukku about the investments by Nageswara Rao’s wife Sandhya, in a shell firm, “Angela Mercantiles Private Limited” to the tune of Rs.1.4 crores has been proved right. Report that appeared in the Indian Express.

https://indianexpress.com/article/india/interim-chiefs-wife-gave-rs-1-14-crore-to-firm-says-regitrar-of-companies/