Cbi To Take Up Jain Panel Leads

Union home minister L K Advani yesterday agreed to turn the proposed multi-disciplinary monitoring agency on Jain Commission into a statutory investigation, coordination and monitoring agency with powers to follow the leads provided in the Jain Commission's final report and the Action Taken Report to unravel the conspiracy behind the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.

This was decided at an hour-long meeting between the home minister and a seven-member delegation of the Congress party. The Congress delegation comprised Sharad Pawar, Arjun Singh, Manmohan Singh, P J Kurien, Suresh Pachauri, Kapil Sibal and R N Mittal.

"We expect the government to notify the new agency which would function under the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) drawing serving officers from the CBI, the police and, possibly, even Enforcement Directorate," Mittal said after the meeting.

 

The new and more powerful body would refer the economic offence aspect of the Jain Commission report to suitable agencies. For example, issues relating to Foreign Exchange Regulation Act violation would be referred to the Enforcement Directorate.

The Congress delegation submitted a file containing 23 clauses on their suggestions on further investigation into the Rajiv assassination. Mittal said the home minister was attentive and cooperative. It was only a day earlier that the Congress had demanded his resignation.

When this was pointed out Ajit Jogi said, "The home minister did not concede our demand (of resigning) and that is why we have to meet him because he continues to be the home minister of the country".