NEW DELHI: The report of the preliminary inquiry by the CBI into the allegations against the controversial godman Chandraswami is likely to be referred to director K. Vijaya Ramo Rao. Mr. Rama Rao, who was away in Beijing to attend the Interpol annual meet, has now returned to the Capital. Highly placed sources in the CBI said the legal department had already scrutinized the report and the investi- gating team was awaiting directions from the top to proceed further. However, the official nod to proceed further may have to await the return of Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao, who is also looking after the ministry of personnel. Rao is going abroad for 15 days.

CBI investigations against the godman pertain to the charge of harboring a known criminal. Chandraswami, who was questioned twice by the CBI, has maintained that he had met Babloo but severed all links with him after he came to know about his criminal antecedents. The CBI is trying to establish that the godman continued his association with Babloo even after the then chief minister of Uttar Pradesh Mulayam Singh Yadav informed him in December 1990 that there were cases pending against Babloo.

The CBI has strictly followed the book in its investigations because of the proximity of the godman with several powerful politicians, bureaucrats and businessmen. “We do not want to be caught on the wrong foot,” a senior officer of the investigating team said.

The CBI examined more than 40 persons during its month-long investigations. The case had snowballed into a major political issue after the then minister for internal security Rajesh Pilot ordered the godman’s arrest.

While officially, the CBI refused to comment on the case, privately some senior officials said the decision to proceed further against the godman would have to be a “political one.” Godman plotted Rajiv’s Killing

Godman Chandraswami and Dr. Subramanian Swamy shared the same objective of eliminating Rajiv Gandhi, but their motives were different,” asserted senior advocate Rami Jethmalani before the Jain Commission, inquiring into the conspiracy aspect of the Rajiv Gandhi assassination.

On the other hand, All India Congress Committee (AICC) counsel R.N. Mittal filed an application before the Commission, requesting it to direct the CBI to file photocopy of the case diary, crime file and other investigation record which are available with them. He also clarified that no record before the trial court in Madras needed to be summoned as it would delay the proceedings.

The commission last week considered whether to summon or not to summon Tamil Nadu chief minister J. Jayalalitha, as sought by Dr. Swamy, Jethmalani is representing the Jayalallitha.

During his deposition before the commission, Dr. Swamy had alleged that Ms. Jayalalitha was sympathetic to the Liberation Tamil Tigers for the Eelam (LTTE) who were responsible for Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination. He had also alleged that Ms. Jayalalitha had information about the assassination plot.

Jethmalani, however, turned the tables on Dr. Swamy by contending that he himself was an LTTE sup porter. “We know who killed Rajiv Gandhi. The murder was planned by the LTTE. Pirabhakaran ordered the assassination and Dhanu, the human bomb, carried it out. And everyone knows Dr. Swamy has a long-standing association with the LTTE which he himself has admitted when he said his friends had penetrated the LTTE,” Jethmalani argued.

He pointed out that Dr. Swamy him- self has stated that Chandraswami and he (S Swamy) were keen that minister

former prime Chandrashekhar should continue.

Article extracted from this publication >> October 20, 1995