The CBI was caught in a major political mess after its Chennai branch on Thursday morning raided the residence of DMK leader M.K. Stalin in connection with alleged violations in the import of luxury vehicles.
The raid at the DMK leader’s residence was called off following a major uproar in New Delhi. Sources said UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and finance minister P. Chidambaram “disapproved” of the timing of the raid. Distancing the government from the raid, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh made it clear that the government had “no role” in the raid and that he was “upset” at the timing. The CBI swooped on Mr Stalin’s Chennai residence 48 hours after his party, the DMK, withdrew support to the UPA-2 government at the Centre. Mrs Gandhi reportedly questioned the minister of state in the PMO, Mr V. Narayanasamy, over the “timing” of the raid, sources said. The CBI falls under Mr Narayanasamy.
However, even though the timing of the CBI raid at Mr Stalin’s residence was being questioned, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) is set to file a chargesheet in the first week of April against former communications minister A. Raja and DMK leader Kanimozhi in connection with the alleged transfer of `200 crore to Chennai-based Kalaignar TV.
Meanwhile, claiming that “no particular individual is being targeted”, the CBI said it would initiate a probe to ascertain “whether there were any procedural lapses in searches, including in that on Stalin’s residence”.
The CBI claimed the timing of the raid on Mr Stalin was merely a coincidence since a case of violation in import of luxury vehicles was registered on Tuesday. Incidentally, the DMK, which was making noises about withdrawing support from the UPA, pulled the plug on Tuesday. The CBI later on Thursday said the DMK leader’s property was raided as one such imported luxury vehicle was registered in the name of his son, Udhayanidhi Stalin. However, the CBI has not yet been able to track down the vehicle.
Mr P. Chidambaram was the first to come out openly against the CBI raid. He also said: “Normally I do not comment on the working of another ministry, but in this case I have to say that I strongly disapprove of the CBI’s action. It is bound to be misunderstood. I have conveyed my views to the minister in charge.”
However, Mr Chidambaram’s “disapproval” and Mrs Gandhi’s frowning set the tone and sources said it was only after this that the government rushed to call off the CBI raid at Mr Stalin’s Chennai residence.
Despite the government’s repeated denials, the Opposition, particularly the BJP, was up in arms. Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley yet again questioned the autonomy of the CBI by saying the Prime Minister or the finance minister has no right to interfere in the CBI’s functioning. Trying to turn the tables on the government, the wily lawyer-politician said: “Just because it has a political fallout, it is improper for the Prime Minister or a finance minister to blatantly interfere in the functioning of the CBI and cripple it from carrying on its routine investigations.”
The CBI spokesperson later argued that searches to locate luxury vehicles were conducted by the Chennai branch of the CBI after taking the permission (a search warrant) of the competent court under Section 165 of the Criminal Procedure Code. CBI officials conducted searches at 18 locations in Chennai and seized 17 imported cars. The CBI claimed to have received a complaint alleging violations in the import of luxury vehicles (Hummer SUVs) in February 2013. The agency has registered a case under different sections of the IPC and Prevention of Corruption Act against a senior DRI official and a Chennai-based car importer, Alex C. Joseph, who was earlier arrested by the Chennai police in a similar case in 2003.