The Hindu : "Minister's examination a formal legal requirement"

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Sep 11, 2003

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"Minister's examination a formal legal requirement"

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI SEPT. 10. The newly-reinducted Minister of State in the Union Cabinet, Gingee Ramachandran, was today examined by officials of the Central Bureau of Investigation in connection with the cash-for-transfer scam of last May.

Mr. Ramachandran's examination was a formal legal requirement and came within days of the Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, giving him a "clean chit" in the case and facilitating the re-entry of the MDMK leader into the Union Council of Ministers.

Mr. Ramachandran held the portfolio of Minister of State for Finance till his stint was abruptly cut short in the wake of the scandal. The Government had put on hold the transfer of 54 Income Tax officials and the CBI had also questioned certain members of the Central Board of Direct Taxes to acquaint itself with the transfer policy of senior Indian Revenue Service officials.

Official sources said that Mr. Ramachandran, now the Minister of State for Textiles, was examined by a CBI team from the Anti-Corruption Unit and certain clarifications were sought. Mr. Ramachandran lost his Cabinet berth in the aftermath of the bribery scandal which came to light when his personal assistant, Perumal Swami was arrested by the CBI on May 22 for allegedly accepting a "bribe" of Rs. 4 lakhs from an IRS officer, Anurag Vardhan.

A Chennai-based chartered accountant, A. Krishnamurthy, was also arrested and the agency said it had recovered Rs. 69 lakhs from his premises.

During today's questioning, Mr. Ramachandran is believed to have denied any involvement in the transfer scam. Sources said that the Minister's examination was "required" for the case as the agency had to proceed further.

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