Centre dismisses Gopal’s plea for NSA help in DDCA probe

The former Solicitor-General Gopal Subramanium has written to National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, seeking dossiers of five officers each from the IB, the CBI and the Delhi Police to assist him in investigations into the alleged financial irregularities in the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA).

The Union Home Ministry, the administrative ministry for Delhi government affairs, termed the letter “silly” and “unprecedented.”

The Ministry was also sending a letter to the Aam Aadmi Party-led Delhi government, terming the commission of inquiry it has set up invalid since Delhi is not a full State.

Mr. Subramanium, who has accepted the offer to head the commission, wrote to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal requesting him to send the names of five “outstanding” investigative officers from the Anti-Corruption Branch with their dossiers. He told Mr. Kejriwal that he had written to Mr. Doval as the Central government “itself called upon the Delhi government” to get an investigation done into the alleged irregularities. “Obviously, this means the Central government would render all possible assistance,” the top lawyer wrote. In his letter to Mr. Doval, Mr. Subramanium said: “Some of the disclosures may also pertain to national security.”

Ministry officials said the very nature of the IB was to remain incognito and it was not an investigating agency. Technically, the NSA’s office does not fall into the channel of communication order.

Plea to NSA part of procedure: Gopal

Mr. Subramanium told a TV channel that his request to National Security Adviser Ajit Doval for assistance in a probe into the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) ‘scam’ was part of the enquiry procedure which calls for appropriate “logistical infrastructure.”

In his letter to Mr. Doval, Mr. Subramanium wrote: “...it is important that I must ask you to step in and offer suitably qualified officers who will also be morally endowed to assist the Commission.”

From Mr. Doval, Mr. Subramanium sought shortlisted dossiers of five of the “best officers of the IB, who should be of the level of joint director and below,” five officers from the CBI and five officers of the Delhi Police, with their records. “I would leave it to your discretion to choose any officer(s) from any of the other State cadres you believe to be competent,” he added.

“I don’t want in hindsight to feel that he [Doval] was not sufficiently briefed as he is a person who understands the ramifications correctly and that is why I wrote to him. I cannot judge by my personal imagination who can be a competent person to investigate,” he said.

Sources: http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/ddca-scam-probe-subramanium-seeks-nsa-help-to-identify-competent-officers/article8041443.ece