To be quizzed in a corruption case or otherwise is not crime
New Delhi
The case(s) of alleged financial defalcation are going on in the special CBI Court, Imphal - which has jurisdiction to Nagaland. The saving grace so far - if any - is no big names in the accused lists, according to sources.
Most accused are Engineers/JEs/SDOs/office staff. Political detractors may ask, were they mere pawns. The case matters are being pursued in a special CBI court Imphal (which has jurisdiction of Nagaland) vide case No. 6 and No. 7 of 2021, sources said.
The subject matter referred to is "the High Court siphoning of funds without work" and altogether 30 people - 14 in one and 16 in another case have been made the accused in the chargesheets.
The ED had earlier reportedly filed five cases separately. It has been reported that the construction works of all the other High Courts in the Northeast, including eghalaya, Tripura and Manipur, which started simultaneously (around 2007) have long been completed and are fully functional since 2013.
The issue has generated an unprecedented political silence since Oct 13 except from Congress leaders K L Chishi and Nagaland Congress chief K Therie.
There is still an 'absence' of any voice from regionalist doyen Shurhozelie-led NPF and BJP and even the JD(U) whose so-called national icon Nitish Kumar wants to be in the big race against PM Narendra Modi for 2024.
In other states wide publicity is given to such an inquiry by ED or CBI. But in the Nagaland case the ED has remained totally silent.
To be questioned is not a crime, it is only to help the probe, they say.
The denial does not mean there is no case as such.
For 2002 communal riots in Gujarat, Narendra Modi as the state Chief Minister was
quizzed by the SIT.
And with regard to alleged money laundering and 'The National Herald' case even Rahul Gandhi and Sonia
Gandhi have been questioned by the ED.
Of course Congress staged drama for days in Delhi and even fielded incumbent Chief Ministers from
Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan to stage protests.
ends
Corruption-Netas and Peace
New Delhi
Murky politics and shenanigans of backroom games have been unleashed in Nagaland during the last 36 hours.
Are the developments linked to the fate of Naga peace talks or just electoral games ahead of the elections which are due early next year?
The Chief Minister's Office issued a statement on Friday evening calling the news item carried in a national newspaper as 'Fake News'. Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio's party NDPP also issued a statement saying there was no truth in the claims made in the news report.
The Congress lawmakers in parliament are likely to take up the matter in the Standing Committee on Home.
Based on the news report filed by a reporter who covers CBI/ED regularly, Nagaland Congress chief K. Therie and former Chief Minister K.L. Chishi told IANS that Chief Minister Rio - who heads the NDPP-BJP-NPF government - should be dismissed.
The denial by the CMO came after a day on Saturday while NDPP had reacted on Friday itself.
The CMO statement says: "The Media Cell, Chief Minister's Office Nagaland has issued a press release stating that on 13th October 2022, Amit Mukherjee representing the 'New Indian Express' published a fake news item in which it is alleged that the Enforcement Directorate had questioned Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio in connection with 'the non-existent High Court, etc.' for several hours in a military facility at Rangapahar in Dimapur".
"The same news has been circulating through various media and social media platforms. In this regard, it is made explicitly clear that the Chief Minister of Nagaland was never called by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with any matter connected with the High Court," the CMO said.
"Action, in accordance with the law, is being initiated against those concerned and those who are responsible for this reckless dissemination of this fake news. And the concerned Department will clarify the other aspects of the news item," it further said.
Chishi wants Rio's dismissal |
Meanwhile, the newly-floated Rising People's Party (RPP), in a statement, said: "The Chief Minister is now a 'prisoner' of the BJP and this will have intense ramifications for the state.
Secondly it has come to the notice of the RPP that the ED is also vigorously chasing 10 NDPP sitting MLAs.
Speculation is rife that the ED has built up cases of corruption against the 10 MLAs. According to sources, these 10 MLAs may strike a bargain with the BJP to join the party.
The RPP, headed by Joel Naga, also states that: "It's not surprising that the ED should interrogate the Chief Minister for 6 hours. This interrogation is not the last and we expect more grilling in the days to come."
Despite the NDPP table thumbing and their protests that the ED grilling the CM is fake news, there's no smoke without fire. Firstly, according to newspaper reports the army has declined to comment which means that something is fishy."
The BJP and the NPF - two allies of Rio in Nagaland - have maintained silence.
Meanwhile, Congress sources told IANS that party MPs and especially members of the Parliamentary Standing Committee are likely to take up the matter. Senior MPs Digvijaya Singh and P. Bhattacharya are two Congress members from Rajya Sabha while party floor leader of Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and Ravneet Singh are also members in the parliamentary panel.
"To be questioned in a corruption is not a crime ....it is only to help the probe," says a source adding even Rahul Gandhi has been questioned by the ED while in connection to the 2002 Gujarat riots, even then Chief Minister Narendra Modi was questioned for long hours by the SIT.
So, by implications Congress sources say - the plain denial is not necessary. "And even if there is any denial, this does not mean the case related to defalcation does not exist."
According to charge sheets, 40 people are accused in two cases of No. 6 and No. 7 of 2021 in CBI special court, Imphal (in Manipur which has jurisdiction in Nagaland).
Moreover, the ED has fled five separate cases earlier.
Several issues could be raised and questions remain unanswered. For instance, in other states such probe are given enough publicity and cases are pursued, they done either in the office of the directorate or police stations.
Why was army cantonment chosen, if at all ?
If the denial version is to be taken at face value, it would be very difficult to presume a concerned reporter or a newspaper will have any personal agenda against NDPP or Chief Minister Rio. One argument being Nagaland is not a large state like Uttar Pradesh or Rajasthan.
Essentially now the ball is in the court of the ED and things could be clarified at its level. The RPP statement seems to make things murkier.
It says even Rio could be persuaded to join BJP formally.
"....given the aggressive pursuance of the case by the ED, the Chief Minister too joining the BJP cannot be ruled out either," the RPP claims adding the NDPP is in a precarious position and there's absolutely nothing the party can do anything about it.
Nagaland Congress chief Therie |
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