‘Personnel ministry mum on CBI probe into Goa drug nexus’
March 8th, 2011 - 1:54 pm ICT by IANS
Panaji, March 8 (IANS) The union personnel ministry has not responded to the Goa government’s request that the probe into the police-politician-drug mafia nexus in the state be handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), says chief secretary Sanjay Srivastava.
He said the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), which functions under the ministry for personnel handled by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh himself, is proving to be a blind alley for Goa’s attempts for a CBI probe into the drug nexus.
“We had written to the union ministry of personnel for handing over the drug case to the CBI weeks back. But we have still received no reply from them,” Srivastava told IANS.
He said with no reply forthcoming from the central ministry, he had been forced to write to the CBI directly, requesting the federal agency to take over the investigation into the drug nexus in which Home Minister Ravi Naik’s son has been linked by the international media and the opposition.
“We are not supposed to write to the CBI directly. But with no answer forthcoming from the personnel ministry, we were forced to take the step,” the top bureaucrat said.
The chief secretary’s comments come after similar statements from Chief Minister Digambar Kamat and senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Gopinath Munde.
On Feb 18, Kamat had told a media conference there had been no response from the DoPT after the chief secretary formally requested them to instruct the CBI to take charge of the drug probe.
“The chief secretary had written to them (DoPT), but they have not responded. We will write a reminder again,” Kamat had said.
On Friday, Munde, BJP’s deputy leader in the Lok Sabha, said the prime minister had been mum on a petition by the opposition party seeking a CBI probe into the Goa drug nexus.
“We had raised the issue with the prime minister. Arti ji (referring to Arti Mehra who is the party’s secretary in charge of Goa) had written a petition to him. But there has been no response from him,” Munde said.
Several policemen as well as two Israeli drug dealers were arrested and subsequently released after a Swedish model and a former girlfriend of a drug dealer had uploaded incriminating videos on popular video upload site www.youtube.com.
- Despite petition, PM mum on Goa drug mafia nexus probe: BJP - Mar 04, 2011
- Kamat insists CBI was asked to handle Goa drug probe - Feb 16, 2011
- CBI can't probe Goa drug nexus, high court told - Mar 22, 2011
- Goa's drug mafia nexus: Swedish model's statement recorded - Mar 23, 2012
- Kamat calls for report on Goa police-politician-drug mafia nexus - Jan 12, 2011
- Kamat clears way for CBI probe into Goa drug nexus (lead) - Jan 24, 2011
- Kamat mulls CBI probe into Goa drug nexus - Jan 24, 2011
- CBI yet to take up drug nexus cases in Goa - Jun 03, 2011
- CBI points to links between Goa Police, drug mafia - Oct 01, 2011
- Central government needs time to study Goa drug nexus, court told - Mar 10, 2011
- CBI to set up special court in Goa - Jul 09, 2011
- Goa trade forum seeks action against drugs trade, prostitution - Jan 22, 2011
- Goa undecided on CBI probe into cop-drug mafia nexus - May 27, 2010
- Goa Congress legislator for CBI probe into drug mafia nexus (Lead) - May 28, 2010
- Politicians, journalists off CBI radar in Goa drug probe - Jun 23, 2011
Tags: bharatiya janata party, bjp leader, blind alley, cbi probe, central bureau of investigation, chief secretary, department of personnel and training, dopt, drug probe, goa government, gopinath munde, kamat, Lok Sabha, manmohan singh, ministry of personnel, opposition party, prime minister manmohan, prime minister manmohan singh, ravi naik, union ministry