8 more preliminary enquiries based on Radia tapes

Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered eight more preliminary enquiries into Niira Radia-taped conversation today. CBI, which has been asked by the Supreme Court to investigate around 14 cases based on Radia's conversation with industrialists, bureaucrats and others, has registered a preliminary enquiry against Reliance Industries and former director general of hydrocarbons, V K Sibal, for favours shown by him to RIL and quid pro quo received by him.

CBI will also investigate Madhu Koda, former chief minister of Jharkhand and unknown officials of the state government for allotment of iron ore mines at Ankua, Singhbhum district  of Jharkhand to Tata Steel. The investigation agency has also named Radia along with former civil aviation secretary Madhavan Nambiar and Deepak Talwar of Delhi Duty Free in its preliminary enquiry into the working of touts and middlemen and kickbacks in the aviation sector.

Radia has also been named in another preliminary enquiry registered today on the alleged market manipulation and hammering of stocks of Unitech. CBI will also look into alleged criminal misconduct by public servant in respect of survey and raid conducted by Income Tax department and the payment of illegal gratification to Income Tax officials to get work done, in two separate enquiries.

CBI’s Chennai branch has also lodged an enquiry into the supply of low floor buses by Tata Motors to the Tamil Nadu government under Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission. Another preliminary enquiry related to allegations of providing accommodation entries, creation of paper companies, bogus billing and cash payment to various persons.

CBI sources said the PE has been registered against Chartered Accountant Anil Bansal, other unknown public servants and private persons to see if there is any criminality and professional misconduct on part of Bansal, based on Radia’s conversations.

CBI is likely to register two more enquiries on SC’s directions in this matter. The agency had yesterday started four preliminary inquiries into Radia's conversation with Pradip Baijal, ex-chief of TRAI, regarding his appointment as Chairman of Pipeline Advisory Committee to allegedly favour Reliance Industries.

A bench headed by Justice G S Singhvi had identified 23 issues which were framed by a apex court-appointed probe team on the analysis of the taped conversations of Radia with bureaucrats, politicians, corporate tycoons and scribes. It then ordered a CBI probe into 14 issues last week.