The Hindu : New Delhi News : CBI probe in Matharu case demanded

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Mar 31, 2005

New Delhi

New Delhi

CBI probe in Matharu case demanded

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI, MARCH 30. Terming the issuance of non-bailable warrant against G.S. Matharu, the secretary to the Municipal Commissioner, as a conspiracy to malign the image of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, the civic body's powerful Standing Committee today passed a resolution demanding a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry into the entire episode.

Raising the issue at the meeting, all Standing Committee Members said Mr. Matharu was an honest and upright official and the charges levelled against him for allegedly selling arms to a criminal in Jharkhand were totally fabricated. Condemning the role of Jharkhand police for targeting a senior official without properly interrogating the case, the members said they would soon be meeting the Union Home Minister, Shivraj Patil, and seek his intervention into the matter.

"It is very shameful to target a senior civic body official on a statement of a notorious criminal. The entire happening going on regarding this case clearly indicates that some disgruntled elements in the Corporation have hatched this conspiracy and used the Jharkhand police to target him. This was an unprecedented and highly condemnable incident in the history of the civic body. Only a CBI inquiry can unearth the conspiracy angle behind this incident," said the Standing Committee Chairman, Mukesh Goel.

Later interacting with presspersons, the Municipal Commissioner, Rakesh Mehta, informed that on March 25, a team of Jharkhand police along with Delhi police personnel had gone to Mr. Matharu's house with non-bailable warrant issued from Jharkhand.

However, Mr. Matharu's arrest was averted. Stating that he had spoken to the Jharkhand Chief Secretary as well as Home Secretary on the issue, Mr. Mehta said the civic body's Chief Vigilance Officer was asked to look into the matter.

"After investigation, it was found that a senior Corporation official, Rajmohan Singh, who is facing corruption charges, had earlier threatened Mr. Matharu so an FIR has been lodged against him. Clearly there is a conspiracy angle into the entire case and we have send a senior counsel from Delhi to Jharkhand to get non-bailable warrant quashed," the Municipal Commissioner informed.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

New Delhi