Former CBI honcho to have 4-member team to probe ex-agency

Having given his consent to probe accusations against former CBI Chief Ranjit Sinha, M L Sharma, who served the central agency for two decades, has asked for four officers to help him in the investigation.
Official sources said the name of four members of Sharma's team would be submitted to the Supreme Court, which will be hearing the matter on August 10.
The Supreme Court had suggested Sharma's name to head the panel to probe Sinha, who during his tenure as CBI director, was alleged to have met several coal block allocation scam accused. The apex court had strongly disapproved of it and ordred a probe to ascertain if Sinha tried to influence or scuttle investigations.

The name of 66-year-old Sharma had emerged after the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) expressed inability to probe the allegations against Sinha in the absence of an investigation wing.
The proposed panel will look into the visitors diary reportedly maintained at Sinha's residence wherein the names of the accused and people associated with them who met the then CBI chief are claimed to have been mentioned.
The apex court had earlier found Sinha's meetings with coal scam accused in the absence of the investigating officers "inappropriate" and said further inquiry was necessary to ascertain the "fairness and impact" of his conduct on the coal scam probe.

The Supreme Court Bench, which is monitoring the probe, had sought the CVC's assistance to determine the methodology for conducting an inquiry to ascertain whether his meetings with the accused had any impact on the investigation, the subsequent charge sheets or closure reports filed by the CBI.

Sharma, who is an expert in financial fraud and terrorism-related cases, served in the CBI till he was shifted to Information Commission in November 2006.
A 1972 batch IPS officer of Rajasthan cadre, Sharma has vast experience in the CBI. He was instrumental in successful extradition of gangsters Abu Salem and Babloo Srivastava and cracking the assassination case of former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh.

He also dealt with several fraud cases and it was under his leadership that notorious fraudster A N Ghosh was extradited from Germany in 2007.
After the retirement of Vijay Shanker, Sharma was tipped to become the CBI Director. However, a last minute change saw him being shifted to the Information Commission as his junior Ashwini Kumar was appointed chief of the premier probe agency.