New Delhi : Noted lawyer and anti-corruption crusader Prashant Bhushan on Tuesday accused the BJP-led Government of selecting “corrupt and pliable” bureaucrat KV Choudhry as the new Chief Vigilance Commissioner (CVC). In a detailed letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Bhushan said Choudhry’s appointment was an attempt to destabilise pivotal organisations like Central Vigilance Commission. An official announcement, however, has not been made.
Bhushan also blamed Congress for colluding with BJP in destroying the apex anti-corruption body of the country by posting corrupt bureaucrats. Pointing out the series of corruption, favouritsm charges against former CBDT Chairman Choudhry, he said the new CVC’s name was figured so many times as night visitor of the tainted former CBI chief Ranjit Sinha’s home.
The anti-corruption crusader said that Choudry as Director General (Investigation) of Income Tax had completely diluted the money trail cases related to 2G, Coal Scam and Radia tapes cases. He had provided escape routes to several tax defaulters and money launderers as CBDT head, alleged Bhushan.
“Choudhry was the then DGIT, Delhi when the Radia tapes were intercepted and did not take any action on evidence available with him. It was the Supreme Court which had to intervene and order the CBI to investigate. As in charge of 2G scam investigation in income tax, Mr. Choudhry failed to make any headway in the case, unlike the other agencies like the CBI or the ED,” said Bhushan in the letter to PM.
The lawyer alleged that Choudhry completely collapsed the black money related cases of foreign bank account holders in HSBC’s Zurich branch. “Choudhry was also in-charge of investigating HSBC account holders for almost three years. Until Supreme Court appointed the SIT, there was almost no progress in the income tax investigation under him. At the time SIT was formed, income tax department had not filed even a single prosecution case against HSBC account holders.
“Adverse remarks have been made in Mr. Choudhry’s performance appraisal reports by three senior officers of CBDT. He wrongfully reduced the ‘undeclared wealth’ of M/s Flora and Fauna, a company of Ponty Chadha by over Rs200 crores. One of the HSBC account holders so protected was Ponty Chaddha’s son-in-law Gurjit Singh Kochar,” said Bhushan.
