FIR filed against Moily, Mukesh in gas pricing row

The ACB will now have to kickstart investigation against "unknown officials" having lodged a formal complaint

Acting on the order of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, the anti-corruption branch (ACB), on Wednesday, registered a criminal case in the KG D6 field gas pricing row against Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) Chairman Mukesh Ambani, Petroleum Minister M Veerappa Moily and former Minister Murli Deora. A Delhi government spokesperson confirmed the first information report (FIR) has named “everyone”. Kejriwal has also written to the prime minister, asking him to put the decision to hike gas price on hold.

The ACB will now have to start investigation after having lodged a formal complaint. The CM’s order was based on a complaint moved by T S R Subramanian, former Cabinet Secretary of India; E A S Sarma, former power secretary; Admiral R H Tahiliani, former navy chief, and Kamini Jaiswal, Supreme Court lawyer.

“Anyone can register a complaint if there is cognizable evidence that laws have been violated or in this case if corruption has taken place. The police can directly register an FIR and proceed with the probe,” said Ved Marwah, former IPS officer and governor of Manipur, Mizoram and Jharkhand.

Earlier, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)’s preliminary probe into RIL KG-D6 after scathing audit reports of CAG reached a dead-end for want of clear evidence of any bribery or kickbacks. The complaint alleged that RIL can produce gas at lower than $1 per unit and would get benefits amounting to Rs 54,000 crore per annum from the hike. Interestingly, a case is going on  the apex court based on a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by CPI leader Gurudas Dasgupta and E A S Sarma.  

After the apex court gave directions for a probe into taped conversations of corporate lobbyist Niira Radia, CBI, for the second time, had registered a case against former Director-General of Hydrocarbons (DGH) V K Sibal, for alleged favours shown by him to RIL and a quid pro quo reportedly received by him.