RAW Chief told PM: Sir, better we shut down ! We are exposed by CBI in Public

Dragging RAW sealed Verma’s fate 

by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group

Dragging Research & Analysis Wing (RAW), country’s premier external intelligence agency, in the turf war dug CBI Director Alok Verma’s grave on the early hours of October 23. It transpires that an angry RAW chief Anil Dhasmana rushed to the Prime Minister on Sunday - October 21 and told him “Our entire operation system in Dubai has been exposed. We have been exposed by our own agency, our men are in danger ! How can we function ?” As if this was not enough Dhasmana who is a very cool, calm and composed officer, went to the extent of saying, “Sir, if this goes on its better we shut down the RAW.” Dhasmana told the PM that Samant Kumar Goel who is number two in the RAW, was once Dubai’s RAW'sstation director in Dubai. He also told that Mahesh Prasad and Somesh Prasad are the sons of former RAW top officer. He was once head of RAW operations in Dubai. Mahesh Prasad is an Investment banker while Somesh Prasad runs his own company. Both brothers used to help RAW whenever needed and provide vital information. They were in touch with  Samant Kumar Goel who  was RAW’s operations head in Dubai once.

Angry Doval told Verma to quit, not PM  

The Prime Minister was seething with anger with Alok Verma after Anil Dhasmana complained and gave details of what's happening. The PM summoned Alok Verma the same day – Sunday October 21 and heard his side of the story. However, it was clear that the PM was unhappy. But he refrained from telling him to quit. He curtly told Verma to meet Ajit Doval. It was National security Adviser Ajit Doval who told Verma to put in his papers. Doval had a long meeting with Verma during which he told Verma that he had badly let him down. “I brought you into the CBI and you did it (referring to dragging RAW's name). He also took him to task for naming Samant Kumar Goel in the FIR against Rakesh Asthana. Though Goel was not named as an accused or as a witness, still the FIR named him. Though thegovernment was upset with Alok Verma for the past many months for declaring an open war against Asthana. It was Verma who wrote a letter against Asthana way back in October 2017 to the CVC leveling allegations of corruption. The feud continued for throughout the year between the two officers and the agency was a divided house and government shut its eyes hoping that Verma will retire on February 1, 2019 without doing any damage to the institution. But Verma, humiliated by his junior all through, booked him in the corruption case and lodged an FIR against him on October 15, 2018. Even then the government was not unduly worried. But Verma's fate was sealed the moment he made RAW’s number 2  Goel's name public in the Asthana case.

Verma sacked for defying Doval

When Ajit Doval told Verma on October 21 evening to send resignation, he said he would send it and got up to leave. A sharp former IB chief who is now most powerful man in the PMO, told him to send the resignation on the email and also by fax immediately. But instead of going to office Verma went home. It transpires that Verma did not send the email until midnight. Doval expected that he will send the resignation by Monday after reaching office on October 22. But Verma didn't. When Doval called him over the mobile phone, Verma didn't take his call either. It was at this moment that decision to sack the “rouge” Director was taken by the PM after consulting Doval. The CVC was told to complete the process of inquiry the same day. The inquiry against Verma was already going on after Cabinet Secretary wrote to the CVC to look into the allegations against him. It can now be told that the CVC office remained oopen until 11.30 pm and eight page report was sent back to the Cabinet Secretary who was also waiting in his office. Cabinet Secretary P K Sinha consulted the Secretary, Personnel Dr C Chandramouli, Secretary Home Rajiv Gauba were in toe. A recommendation of action was sent to the Principal secretary to the PM, Nripendra Mishra who was also sitting in the office. P K Mishra was also there and PM was also awake. It took almost two hours to complete the process and sack order to Verma was sent at 2 am in the morning. 

"Asthana Apna Aadmi Hai”

by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group

"Asthana Apna Aadmi Hai”

Taped conversations blow the lid off in CBI

Harish Gupta

New Delhi, Oct. 30

"Asthana Apna Aadmi Hai” this is how Somesh Prasad, a Dubai-based businessman told his father-in-law who had gone to collect money from Satish Babu Sana. The money was to be paid to the CBI' special Director Rakesh Asthana as Sana was facing CBI cases and wanted the help of the agency to dilute the same. The father-in-law who is a prominent Delhi lawyer was somewhat scared. But Somesh Prasad told him not to worry as “Asthana is our man”.

One of the WhatsApp messages found in January 2018 in these telephone intercepts says “he can't take panga (Mess ) with them”. The messages were exchanged between the two brothers and Somesh was impressing that Sana should not take “Panga” with Asthana.

None of the players realized that someone in the CBI was listening to this telephonic conversation. Somesh Prasad was sitting in Dubai and monitoring the entire payment plan and his brother Mahesh Prasad was camping in Delhi to complete the deal. Hyderabad-based businessman knew d Prasad brothers as he had businesses in Dubai too. Sana had sought their help to get out of the CBI cases and Prasad brothers were using their clout in the agency.

But they had no clue that their telephone conversations are being tapped Asthana's rival and CBI director Alok Verma. Verma had deputed A K Bassi, head of the anti-corruption unit of the CBI, to investigate the link between Sana and Prasad brothers and he tumbled upon this conversations.

The lid was blown off in the Supreme Court today when Bassi appealed against his transfer to Andaman and Nicobar Islands on October 24. He said this was "malafide and derails a sensitive probe" and added that allegations against Asthana are "grave". He also produced evidence in support of his statement before the apex court. AK Bassi has submitted in court details of WhatsApp messages and calls that he alleges prove Mr Asthana took bribe from a businessman, Sathish Sana, who wanted to be spared CBI summons in an investigation. He further sought an urgent hearing on his plea against the transfer on November 2. The top court said it will look into it.

Though Bassi did not share the evidence, it transpires that phone conversation tapes between Somesh Prasad and Asthana, Asthana's phone conversations with Mahesh Prasad and couple of other players are part of it.

The time-line of phone conversations between Asthana and RAW's number two Sumant Kumar Goel has also been submitted.

The leaking of these conversations and time-line of phone tapes are aimed at exposing how the CBI's number two was involved in taking bribes from Hyderababd businessman Satish Babu Sana through Mahesh Prasad. Sathish Sana has said in a statement to the court that Rakesh Asthana demanded a bribe of Rs. 5 crore from him. More dirt will come out in the days to come from the closet of CBI as war is taking a turn for the worse.

Ends 

Dragging RAW sealed Verma’s fate

by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group

Dragging RAW sealed Verma’s fate 

RAW Chief told PM: Sir, better we shut down ! We are exposed by our own agency

Harish Gupta

New Delhi, Oct 28

Dragging Research & Analysis Wing (RAW), country’s premier external intelligence agency, in the turf war dug CBI Director Alok Verma’s grave on the early hours of Tuesday last.

Highly placed sources say that the Prime Minister was seething with anger with Alok Verma after he exposed RAW’s secret operations in Dubai to settle scores with his Special Director Rakesh Asthana.

No doubt, the government was upset with Verma for the past many months for declaring an open war with  Asthana and even registered an FIR against him.

But his fate was sealed the moment he made RAW’s number 2  Sumant Kumar Goel's name public  in the Asthana case . All hell broke in the top echelon of the Modi government as Sumant Kumar Goel is a highly rated officer. He is in the line of being made RAW chief after current chief retires in December. Verma named Goel in the FIR though not as an accused. An angry RAW chief Anil Dhasmana rushed to the Prime Minister on Sunday -October 21 and told him “Sir its better we shut down the RAW. Our entire operations in Dubai have been exposed by our own agency, our men are in danger ! How can we deliver?”  Dhasmana told the PM that Sumant Kumar Goel was once Dubai’s RAW head. He also told that Mahesh Prasad and Somesh Prasad are the sons of former RAW Director R R Prasad. He was once head of RAW operations in Dubai. Mahesh Prasad is an Investment banker while Somesh Prasad runs his own company. Both the brothers used to help RAW whenever needed and provide vital information. They were in touch with  Sumant Kumar Goel who  was RAW’s operations head in Dubai once.

The problem began when Asthana recorded a statement of a Hyderabad businessman Satish Babu Sana to allege that he had paid a bribe of Rs 2 crores to Alok Verma to go-slow in the Moin Qureshi case. He sent the complaint to the CVC against Verma. But Sana took a U-turnsoon and confessed  before a Magistrate under Section 164 of the CrPC that he paid a bribe of Rs 2.95 crore to Asthana’s middlemen Manoj Prasad and Somesh Prasad to get relief in the Moin Qureshi case. Sana is an accused in the Moin Qureshi case. 

The government avoided any precipitated action and tried to solve the  issue with dialogue even at this late stage. But the moment Verma named Sumant Kumar Goel in the FIR and said that  Mahesh Prasad is being probed for his alleged hawala links as well as connections with certain R&AW officials, all hell broke. The naming of RAW's  number 2 sealed Verma's fate.

 

Ends

PMO plays tough, another min gets jolt

by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group

Exclusive Report

A Cabinet minister is normally entitled to appoint 15 officers including PS, OSD and those on other ranks. Since Chaudhary Birender Singh holds the charge of three more departments, he can appoint a personal staff of 28 persons.

 Birender Singh loses two OSDs

￭ New transfer policy for private secretaries too

Harish Gupta

New Delhi, Nov 22: 

The Prime Minister's Office continues to play tough when it comes to hiring the private secretaries (PS) or Officers on Special Duty (OSDs) or personal staff of the ministers in the government. Even after 18 months into the office, the ministers in the NDA government are still struggling to find personal staff "acceptable" to the PMO. 

The latest shocker came to Union rural development minister Chaudhary Birender Singh who was told by the PMO that the appointments of two OSDs cannot be approved. Incidentally, one of the two OSDs was functioning in with the minister for the past 10 months. His file was sent for approval to the PMO immediately after being appointed 10 months ago. But the PMO rejected it now. Since he is a retired IRS officer, he was drawing his pension and doesn't suffer financially. But the other OSD is an advocate and politically close to the minister.

A Cabinet minister is normally entitled to appoint 15 officers including PS, OSD and those on other ranks. Since Chaudhary Birender Singh holds the charge of three more departments, he can appoint a personal staff of 28 persons. Birender Singh was reportedly upset with the decision and reported to have taken up the issue with the PMO as well. But to no avail. It may be mentioned that even Union home minister Rajnath Singh, HRD minister Smriti Irani, minority affairs minister Najma Heptualla, consumer affairs minister Ram Vilas Paswan and a couple of others were not allowed to retain the officers of their choice. Rajnath Singh's officer was repatriated prematurely while Smriti Irani's OSD was given marching orders after he worked for 10 months.

A highly placed source in the PMO explained that the appointment of private persons in the ministerial staff is closely scrutinized at various levels in the revenue, home, IB, RAW & other departments. The ministers may appoint some of their favourites in their personal staff. But certain persons are not found fit after the inquiry and proposals are rejected. 

The PMO had conveyed to the ministers last year that no sanction will be granted to the person for appointment if he had worked during the UPA regime or for that matter in the United Front governments. Earlier, even lower rank staff members were not allowed to join. But this rule was relaxed.

Even on Friday last (November 20), the Department of Personnel under the PMO issued fresh guidelines with regard to Rotational Transfer Policy (RTP) for private secretaries belonging to the Central Secretariat Services. The PMO wants that duration of PS' working in various ministries and departments be for a fixed tenure and they must be rotated. The continuance of an officer for a longer duration in the same ministry and the same department is not considered appropriate by the present dispensation. All departments have been directed to submit details by the end of this month about such private secretaries working with them.