IN PM'S ANTI-CORRUPTION DRIVE, JUSTICE CATCHES UP WITH RAMESH ABHISHEK

The Central Bureau of Investigation’s search on the premises of former bureaucrat Ramesh Abhishek has created a sense of uneasiness among former and serving influential officials who were allegedly dealing in corrupt practices, with a message going out that in his third term as Prime Minister, Narendra Modi will be ruthless on the issue of corruption.

- ABHINANDAN MISHRA

On 2 February 2022, anticorruption ombudsman body, Lokpal in an order by Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghose (Chairperson), Dinesh Kumar Jain (Member) and Indrajeet P. Gautam (Member) directed the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) to initiate an enquiry against former Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) Secretary Ramesh Abhishek, a 1982 batch Indian Administrative Officer of the Bihar cadre.

The Lokpal’s order had come on a complaint that was filed in May 2019 alleging that the Odisha born influential IAS officer, who retired in June 2019, had amassed properties more than his known source of income. The ED submitted its report to the Lokpal on 4 August 2022.

After the Lokpal order of February 2022, Abhishek approached the Delhi High Court seeking to stop the investigation. However, his request was rejected by Justice Pratibha Singh on 10 May 2023. This was followed by another report that was presented to the Lokpal by the ED, which also enquired into the aspect of conflict of interest Abhishek allegedly indulged in while being in important positions.

Sources said that the ED faced a lot of difficulties in pursuing the investigation, as when it approached Security Board and Exchange of India (SEBI) to seek files that were handled by Abhishek when he was a member of Forward Market Commission, that was merged into SEBI in September 2015, it was told that the files have gone missing.