NEW DELHI: At least 10 Union ‘Ministers including members of the Congress Working Committee, presidents of the two leading Opposition parties, a number of bureaucrats and Politicians were served with showcase notices in the hawala case creating a flutter in government and political circles. The Central Bureau of The investigation had asked them to declare their assets, bank accounts, details of other confidential information. This is perhaps for the first time in the CBI’s history that it has served ‘show cause notices on Union ministers and powerful personalities for an economic offence which was earlier dismissed as “insignificant” by many. ‘The GBI is directly under the charge of the Prime Minister.
So enraged were some of the ministers that they reportedly summoned the Director of the CBI, K. Vijaya Rama Rao, soon after receiving the “insulting bunch” of Rao’s papers and threatened to resign. They wanted Vijaya Rama Rao to explain whether he had sought the permission of the ‘Prime Minister before insulting them by questioning their integrity.
‘The investigating agency after decoding the diary entries following the cross examination of the Jains has served notices on the highflying then Minister of State for Internal Security, Rajesh Pilot, on the one hand and the Union Home Secretary K. Padmanabhiah on the other, The close confidant of the Prime Minister, the Parliamentary Minister, V.C, Shukla, and the Human Resources Development Minister, Madhav Rao Scindia
As per the Jain’s explanations of the diary notations, the External Affairs Minister, Pranab MukherjeehasRs,10 lakhs entered besides his name, the Union Agriculture Minister, Dr. Batram/JakharRs61 lakhs,C.K.Jaffer ‘Sharief,Railway Minister Rs.10lakhs, Kamal Nath, Textiles MinisterRs.10 lakh, Mrs. Krishna Sahi, the Minister of State for Civil Supplies Rs.2 lakh and her senior minister, Buta Singh Rs.7.50 lakh and the UP Govemor, Moti Lal Vora Rs 10 lakhs.
‘When contacted the official spokesman of the CBI confirmed that a “questionnaire” was indeed sent 10 those whose names appear in the sized diaries as part of the investigations underway which is being supervised by the Supreme Court.
Article extracted from this publication >> October 6, 1995
