CHANDIGARH: While the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has seized unexplained movable and immovable assets from the two retired and, one. serving employees of the Chandigarh Administration recently, the UT’s Estate Office staff here remained on strike, in protest over alleged harassment to them during the raids, While the CBI officials refused to disclose anything, eye witnesses’ disclosed that the former seized documents pertaining to three houses in Chandigarh and Panchkula owned by the former Assistant Estate Officer, D.Y.. Bhatia. Besides this, the raiding party also seized foreign currency, including 2,000 pounds and 1,000US dollars, besides Rs 90,000 in cash from his residence. Pointing out that the CBI officials also seized about Rs three lakh in cash and 2.5 kilograms of gold from a bank locker of Bhatia, the eye witnesses said the former Assistant Estate Officer even owned a Maruti 1000 and Maruti 800. He also had various bank accounts in his name.

Similarly, the CBI officials seized documents from the house of an Estate Office Superintendent, O.P. Gupta, revealing his having purchased a factory in the Union Territory. Pointing out that the raiding party seized various bank pass books in the name of Gupta, they said the Estate Office official appeared to be having even became bank accounts in view of seizure of bank check books already signed by other people.

The CBI officials also seized Rs 32,000 in cash from Gupta’s residence, who also owned a house, one car, once scooter, a motorcycle and a moped.

About M.K. Wats, the CBI officials seized documents pertaining to immovable property and huge investments made by him. Meanwhile, the normal working in various departments of the Estate ‘Office remained paralyzed forth third day, on Monday, in view of the employees’ strike. The agitators held dharna outside the Estate Office building in Sector 17 and did not allow any person, except the Sub Divisional Magistrate, I.S. Sandhu, to go inside, The Deputy Commissioner, Chhattar Singh, did not come to the office, while a number of senior officers had to return home in view of the blockade put up by employees at the main entrance to the Estate Office building.

The working was completely paralyzed in the offices of the Deputy Commissioner, Assistant Estaic Office, Sub Divisional Magistrate, Excise and Taxation Department, Food and Supplies Department, Registration and Licensing Branch.

The employees have been urging the Administration to order an inquiry into the death of Gupia’s wife after CBI raided his residence and took him into custody for questioning in a case regarding relaxation in payment of ground rent to some selected allotters of the plots, They also asked the Administration to get departmental or vigilance inquiry conducted against employees in the case of a complaint instead of the CBI inquiry.

Meanwhile, senior officials in the Administration expressed helplessness into the matter, saying that it was very much within the jurisdiction the CBI to conduct raids on the UT employees. The CBI need not consult the ‘Administration before conducting raids as the former was not working under it, a senior official of the Ad: ministration said.

Article extracted from this publication >>  August 18, 1995