SCAM/CORRUPTION – 2010 - Indian Social Institute

Adikeshavulu Naidu, though not found on the wrong side of law, had made a Herculean effort and had
lobbied to keep the name of the board members out of the report. But that was not to be. Of three board
members named Yadaiah had made an unsuccessful bid for the Chevella seat in the 2009 elections while
Subramanyam from Gattu area of Madanapalle is a former PCC member. Anjaiah was the president of
the AP Fishermen’s Federation. The Arjitha scam is only one of the scandals that has hit the Lord’s
abode. There are serious allegations of theft of jewellery of the Lord. This portends to be a bigger scandal
if proven. But right now, the scam is being investigated by the internal vigilance team of the TTD. “Lord
Balaji’s abode is one of the holiest shrines of the Hindus. Lakhs of devotees visit this place in all piety and
sincerity. They place everything at his feet. To indulge in unholy activities is shocking,” said a pilgrim
when told about the findings of the V&E report. (Times of India, 16/8/2010)
Huge cash and gold haul from Rajasthan dairy official
JAIPUR: There seems to be no end to the money illegally amassed by Surendra Kumar Sharma, a
deputy manager of Rajasthan Co-operative Dairy Federation's cattle feed plant in Ajmer. In Rajasthan's
biggest seizure, state's Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) sleuths on Saturday recovered Rs 2.35 crore cash
and 8.5 kg of gold biscuits worth another Rs 1.58 crore from the lockers in Jaipur belonging to Sharma.
The ACB has so far seized over Rs 4.70 crore cash and gold worth Rs 2 crore from his lockers in Ajmer
and Jaipur. The agency is yet to open two lockers belonging to Sharma in Rajasthan's Bikaner and
Haryana's Karnal cities. The ACB will soon convey to the customs department its suspicion that the gold
biscuits could have been smuggled from outside the state. The biscuits are foreign made and have the
hologram of an international company on them. The ACB had also found some fake currency notes in the
cash recovered from various lockers. Sharma, who was DM of the plant's quality control and production
branch, allegedly amassed money by accepting bribes to clear contracts of sub-standard quality raw
material. After recovering Rs 2.35 crore and gold worth Rs 38 lakhs over the last nine days since a
surprise raid at his house in Ajmer on August 5, the ACB on Saturday checked his three private lockers at
Ganpati Plaza and one at SBI's Paanch Batti branch in Jaipur. IG (ACB) Umesh Mishra told TOI that Rs
2.15 crore cash was found from three private lockers at Ganpati Plaza. "The ACB teams also recovered
Rs 8.480 kg of gold from the lockers,'' said Mishra. The ACB sleuths were shocked to find such a huge
amount of cash and had to bring in a special currency note counting machines. The ACB teams found Rs
20 lakh cash from a locker at SBI's Paanch Batti branch. The locker's keys were not with Sharma
following which the locker was broken open in his presence. Sharma had been brought to Jaipur after
getting permission from a court in Ajmer. Sharma was arrested by the Ajmer police following recovery of
illegal liquor stored in his house. He is in judicial custody. The ACB is likely to arrest Sharma under the
Prevention of Corruption Act after examining all his lockers and documents related to property and
investment. The ACB had seized over 100 documents from his house. (TOI, 16/8/2010)
ATS to probe missing trucks with explosives
JAIPUR: The state Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) has taken over the investigation in 61 explosives-laden
trucks, which went missing while on way to Sagar in Madhya Pradesh from Rajasthan Explosives and
Chemical Limited (RECL), Dholpur between April and June. Dholpur Collector, V Sarvan Kumar, has also
ordered separate inquiry into the matter. The action came after Madhya Pradesh police sounded alert and
security agencies expressed fear regarding possibility of missing explosives' consignment passing into
the hands of naxalite groups. ADG (ATS), Rajasthan, Kapil Garg told TOI that a team of officials visited
RECL in Dholpur on Friday and started investigation in the case. On the possibility of misuse of
explosives, he said that investigation has just begun, so it would be too early to comment. According to
reports, ATS team under Dy SP JP Sharma reached RECL and checked the records of deal with Sagarbased
Ganesh Explosives. Sources said that ATS also interrogated the officials regarding communication
with the Sagar-based firm and exchange of documents between them. Collector, Dholpur, V Sarvan
Kumar said that he has ordered separate inquiry into the matter. He also said that all the deal related
records were examined and RECL officials including senior manager (works) K Edward Kelly presented
their side of facts. RECL officials informed district collector that they had received delivery report from
Jaikishan Ashwini, who purchased the explosives in the name of Ganesh Explosives whereas police did
not intimate them. RECL officials however alleged that police had no information about the delivery or
non-delivery of the consignment otherwise they would have started investigation earlier. TOI had reported
the matter on August 12 which mentioned that RECL had released explosives worth Rs 1.40 crore in 61
trucks for Sagar-based Ganesh Explosives, a company originally owned by Devendra Singh Thakur, but
the consignment did not reach the firm. Preliminary investigation revealed that Ashwini has sold the
explosives to private firms in Bhilwara (Rajasthan), Rajgarh (MP) and Ahmadnagar (Maharashtra). MP
police team under SHO Santosh Kumar Dixit is interrogating private firms for their motive behind
purchasing illegal explosives. (TOI, 16/8/2010)