The Hindu : Govt. sanctions CBI probe against former Ministers

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Nov 12, 2002

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National

Govt. sanctions CBI probe against former Ministers

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI NOV. 11. The Government today gave sanction to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to initiate proceedings against three former Union Ministers — Sheila Kaul, P.K. Thungon and Rashid Masood — for their alleged involvement in different cases.

Sources in the Government said the sanction for prosecution of Ms. Kaul, former Cabinet Minister, and Mr. Thungon, former Minister of State in the Urban Development Ministry, was granted for their alleged involvement in a scam relating to the arbitrary allotment of shops and houses during 1995-96.

Prosecution proceedings against Mr. Masood, Minister of State for Health in the V.P. Singh Ministry, were approved for his alleged involvement in the medical quota scam in the North-East.

It was alleged that Mr. Masood had entered into a criminal conspiracy with the then Resident Commissioner of Assam here and given seats from the North-East quota to students on the basis of fake addresses.

The Government has a fixed quota for students from the North-East in medical colleges elsewhere in the country.

Cong. reacts cautiously

PTI reports:

The Congress today reacted cautiously over the Government's decision to allow the CBI for prosecution of Ms Kaul and Mr. Thungan for their alleged role in the arbitrary allotment of shops and stalls saying law would take its own course in the matter.

``The case is going on for long. Our stand remains the same that law will take its own course,'' the AICC general secretary, Ambika Soni, told reporters.

Ms. Soni expressed confidence that the former Ministers would present their case and get acquitted.

Asked to comment on the timings of the decision, Ms. Soni said she would not like to question about the rights of the court but the Government's decision at this juncture was questionable.

The CBI, after completing the investigations, was awaiting a nod from the Government for the prosecution

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