NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court, while denying permission to Chandraswami to visit abroad, ex

its displeasure last week at the CBI dragging its feet into the investigations of his alleged crimes during the past seven years.

“I am not satisfied that the matter has been gone into. Many years have, if nothing against him has been found, at least that should be stated,” Justice Verma, heading a Division Bench with Justice B.N Kirpalsaid.

 When Chandraswami’s Senior Counsel ALK. Sen tried to draw the attention of the Bench to some compliant of his client against his inter locutors, Justice Verma said “I am sure he cannot say that he has been unfairly treated by CBI.”

When Mr. Sen said that because of Press reports his client had been suffering persecution for the past 13 Justice Verma remarked: “But for the Press everything would have been swept under the carpet.”

When Mr, Sen complained about the restriction on Chandraswami to travel abroad Justice Verma said “There is enough good work for him to be in the country, He should stay here,” Justice Kirpal added “Let him watch the World Cup matches,” The two judges were hearing Supreme Court Advocate A.C. Pradhan’s petition seeking arrest of Chancraswasal and the  impounding, of his passport as dreaded criminal Babloo Shrivastava involved in the Bombay blasts case had confessed that he had been sheltered by the Godman. They were also considering the CBI’s Special Leave Petition against the Delhi High Court judgment permitting Chandraswami to travel abroad.

Senior Counsel Anil Baburao Dewan, who has been appointed Amicus Curae to assist the court, has also been pressing for speedy ingestion into the alleged cheating by Chandraswami of US based NRI Lakhubhai Pathak of $100,000, He has asked for similar probes in the Income Tax offences of the Vishwa Dhmayatan Sangha than, a trust run by Chandraswami.

Mr. Dewan told the judge last week’s Press reports saying that the People for Civil Liberties (PUCL) application seeking e closure of the CBI report in the St Kitts case had been dismissed gave the impression that the apex court had given up looking into this. “Mr, Jethmalani (Senior Counsel for PUCL) would not have given up so easily. We said relevant material had could be placed of your di o Justice Verma remarked. The PUCL application had alleged that in his confessional statement in the St Kitts Case before the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, Delhi six aks ago, Deputy Director of Enforcement A.P. Nanday, who died recently, had confessed that Mr, Satish Sharma (now Union Petroleum Minister) and Mr.R.K. Dhawan (now Union Urban Development Minister) had goaded him to obtain forged documents in order to make it appear that Mr. V.P. Singh and his son ayeya Singh had opened bank account in the Caribbean island when Mr Singh was Union Finance Minister between 1985 to 1987. The application further alleged MR. Rao, who was then External Affairs Minister between September 25 and October 5, 1989 had pressurized the Indian Consul General in New York to personally attest the false affidavit made by the forger of the accounts George The two judges listed the case for further hearing on March 25.

Article extracted from this publication >>  February 28, 1996