The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Chennai doctor gave Ali Rs. 8 lakhs: CBI

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Saturday, Jul 24, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Chennai doctor gave Ali Rs. 8 lakhs: CBI

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI, JULY 23. A city doctor, Nizamuddin, arrested in connection with the ``fake stamp paper case'', gave Rs. 8 lakhs to the Tamil Nadu Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Crime Branch-CID, A.P. Mohamed Ali, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) told a city court today.

Opposing the second bail application by Mr. Ali (since placed under suspension), the agency's public prosecutor, Jacob Daniel, said during arguments before the Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, D. Arulraj, that Nizamuddin told one of the senior investigating officers that he had given the huge amount to the DIG through his wife.

Also, in a telephonic conversation, which was recorded, the main accused in the multicrore scam, Telgi, made a ``significant disclosure'' that as far as Tamil Nadu was concerned ``a huge money'' had been given to Mr. Ali.

The prosecutor submitted that ``stage after stage, the overt act of Mr. Ali'' was visible. Non-arrest of one Balaji (by the CB-CID in 2002) though the offence he committed was cognisable, the non-registration of first information report against him and pulling up the CB-CID investigating officer for freezing the bank account of Shara Enterprises, which was allegedly circulating fake stamp papers in Tamil Nadu, clearly established that Mr. Ali had a personal interest in the matter.

Superiors not consulted

When the `Q' branch letter on the circulation of fake stamp papers was received, Mr. Ali straightway referred it to one of the Superintendents of Police in the CB-CID, Avudaiyappan, for investigation, without consulting his superiors.

When he came to know about the freezing of the account, he not only scolded the investigating officer but also told him that nothing should be done without his permission.

As the CB-CID did not arrest them, Balaji and Nizamuddin were freely carrying on the illegal business. After a case was registered against him, Nizamuddin withdrew Rs. 75 lakhs from an account operated by him in the Punjab National Bank, Annanagar here.

As regards the visitors' book in the CB-CID headquarters, the prosecutor said that on seeing the names of Nizamuddin and his advocate, Sundarraman, in it, Mr. Ali asked the officers to arrest Nizamuddin. ``All these things were done deliberately.'' Records would also show that even before the investigation in the case was completed, the DIG had asked his subordinates to file the charge sheet.

The Legal Adviser said the probe and the charge sheet were incomplete. ``Is it an innocent act on the part of the DIG,'' asked the prosecutor.

`Selective victimisation'

Earlier, Mr. Ali's counsel, M. Venkataraman, said the CB-CID did not mean Mr. Ali. In the special unit there were his subordinates and also two officers who were his superiors. That being so, accusing him alone was not appropriate.

Even, for argument's sake, if Mr. Ali was complacent, what did the Additional Director-General and the Inspector-General of Police do? ``There cannot be selective victimisation,'' counsel said hastening to add that he was not attributing anything to the other officers.

Had there been any lapse on Mr. Ali's part, the superior officers would have acted.

Mr. Ali seriously viewed the release on bail of Nizamuddin a few days after his arrest. He awarded the punishment of censure to the CB-CID investigating officer for not giving a reply to the bail petition. (It was later cancelled by the Inspector-General.) ``Mr. Ali is not the be all and end all of the police force,'' he said.

After hearing the arguments, the Additional CMM dismissed the bail application.

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