New Delhi: As P Chidambaram came in the line of fire over the withdrawal of three FIRs against a hotelier, former Union Home Secretary GK Pillai on Friday defended him saying the Home Minister had clearly instructed his officials not to take any decision and asked only to convey the Law Ministry's advice.
"I clearly remember that the Home Minister had written in the file that the Home Ministry should convey the advice of Ministry of Law and the Home Ministry should not give any direction on the issue," Pillai said.
His remarks came against the backdrop of controversy over the alleged conflict of interest involving Chidambaram in withdrawal of three cases against SP Gupta, Chairman, Sunair Hotels Limited, New Delhi, said to be a former client of Chidambaram.
Pillai said the draft of a letter sent by the Home Ministry to the Delhi government for withdrawal of FIRs had not been shown to the Home Minister or Home Secretary or the Joint Secretary concerned and it did not reflect the proper deliberations in the Home Ministry....
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02:12 PM, Dec 16, 2011
New Delhi: A day after the Special Investigation Team (SIT) told the Gujarat High Court that the Ishrat Jahan encounter was not genuine, former Home Secretary GK Pillai on Tuesday has defended the Gujarat government's claim that the Intelligence Bureau had given inputs against Ishrat. But the revelation has now rekindled a critical debate, is the murder of a terror suspect less unlawful than that of an innocent 19-year-old college...
10:28 PM, Nov 22, 2011
New Delhi: A day after the Special Investigation Team (SIT) told the Gujarat High Court that the Ishrat Jahan encounter was not genuine, former Home Secretary GK Pillai has defended the Gujarat government's claim that the Intelligence Bureau had given inputs against Ishrat. Pillai has told CNN-IBN that from the evidence available, it was clear that Ishrat and others were involved in suspicious activities. "Ishrat used to live with another...
02:05 PM, Nov 22, 2011
Mumbai: The Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government is in a damage control mode after an embarrassing twist in India's 50 most wanted list handed over to Pakistan. The Government has ordered an investigation after one of the men on the most wanted list, Wazhul Kamar Khan, was tracked to Thane in Maharashtra. Khan is an accused in three major terror cases. Union Home Secretary GK Pillai said that the...
08:33 PM, May 17, 2011
New Delhi: India on Tuesday demanded that Pakistan disclose the whereabouts of Dawood Ibrahim, dismissing its Interior Minister Rehman Malik's contention that he was not in his country. Home Secretary Gopal K Pillai said the Pakistan Interior Minister should disclose where Dawood was living if he was not in Pakistan. "If the Minister is so sure that Dawood is not in Pakistan, he should tell us where is he.... According...
06:33 PM, May 10, 2011
New Delhi: Government on Saturday night alerted the Department of Space and ISRO for help in locating the whereabouts of the missing helicopter carrying Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu and four others. Union Home Secretary GK Pillai said that Indian satellites have made two passes over the probable area from where the Pawan Hans helicopter went missing 20 minutes after takeoff from Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh but has not...
07:25 PM, Apr 30, 2011
New Delhi: The Home Secretaries of India and Pakistan will be meeting on Tuesday for the second consecutive day in New Delhi. Indian Home Secretary GK Pillai and his Pakistani counterpart, Chaudhary Qamar Zaman, are likely to issue a joint statement on Tuesday afternoon. The statement is expected to outline bilateral measures to be adopted for fighting terrorism and enhancing Confidence Building Measures. The announcement may also come up with...
10:19 AM, Mar 29, 2011
New Delhi: Day I of India-Pakistan Home Secretary level talks have ended on a positive note, claimed the Indian delegation. Indian Home Secretary GK Pillai met his Pakistani counterpart Chaudhary Qamar Zaman on Monday in New Delhi and discussed several issues including counter terror co-operation, visa and humanitarian issues as well as how to control drug trafficking. "The talks were positive and things are moving in the right direction. We...
05:53 PM, Mar 28, 2011
New Delhi: Indian Home Secretary GK Pillai meets his Pakistani counterpart Chaudhary Qamar Zaman on Monday for first ever Home Secretary level talks between the two rivals since 26/11. The Secretary for Internal Security UK Bansal and other MHA officials on Monday arrived at the Ashok Hotel, where Pakistan High Commissioner Shahid Malik was also present. The issues related to speedy trial for 26/11 accused, dismantling of terror camps and...
11:42 AM, Mar 28, 2011
Home Secretaries of India and Pakistan will meet in New Delhi on Monday in the shadow of a possible summit meeting between the two sides on the margins of the cricket encounter in Mohali. ...
10:21 PM, Mar 27, 2011
New Delhi: Home Secretaries of India and Pakistan will meet in New Delhi for two days from on Monday in the shadow of a possible summit meeting between the two sides on the margins of the cricket encounter in Mohali. No breakthrough is expected in the official-level talks being held after a gap of nine months, officials here say but they expect "ice may be broken" for the resumption of...
11:23 AM, Mar 27, 2011
New Delhi: In a quick follow-up to recent Indo-Pak decision to resume comprehensive talks, Union Home Secretary G K Pillai will extend an invitation to his Pakistani counterpart for discussions here next month on counter-terrorism, including progress in Mumbai terror attacks trial there. "I will call my Pakistani counterpart this week inviting him to New Delhi. I will propose two sets of dates to him for a meeting in the...
04:29 PM, Feb 13, 2011
New Delhi: ULFA leaders on Thursday called the first round of talks with the Home Secretary GK Pillai 'constructive'. An eight-member delegation of ULFA leaders held the first round of peace talks with the Centre in the capital. ULFA Chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa led the delegation. "After a long time, we have come out for a solution. Today's meeting with the Home Secretary was constructive," said the ULFA delegation. Apart from...
06:04 PM, Feb 10, 2011
New Delhi: Home Secretary G K Pillai will chair the first round of the much-awaited talks with the ULFA while Home Minister P Chidambaram may have an introductory meeting with the leadership of the banned group during the February 10 meeting. Centre's interlocutor P C Haldar said the proposed meeting in Delhi will be a familiarisation exercise for both sides to know each other's view before the formal dialogue process....
10:59 AM, Feb 06, 2011
New Delhi: Terror group Indian Mujahideen has taken responsibility for the blast in Varanasi. Union Home Secretary GK Pillai said that Indian Mujahideen was responsible for the blast in Varanasi on Tuesday evening in which at least one child has been killed and 20 others injured. "It's a terror strike," Pillai told CNN-IBN. Indian Mujahideen sent an e-mail to media houses claiming that the blast in Varanasi was in retaliation...
08:38 PM, Dec 07, 2010
New Delhi: Union Home Minister P Chidambaram on Monday contradicted Home Secretary GK Pillai's claim that the United States of America did not share much information about Lashkar-e-Toiba operative David Coleman Headley with India saying that Washington did share Headley information with New Delhi before 26/11, but not his name. But ahead of US President Barack Obama visit, the Home Minister also sought to play down the issue, saying it...
04:06 PM, Nov 01, 2010
Washington/ New Delhi: US intelligence officials will review the information that they shared on terror group Lashker-e-Toiba operative David Coleman Headley with India. The US move comes just a day after Union Home Secretary GK Pillai told CNN-IBN that the American authorities could have shared more information on Headley ahead of the November 26, 2008 terror attacks on Mumbai. At a special White House briefing on Thursday, Washington-based Indian reporters...
01:18 PM, Oct 28, 2010
New Delhi: A few days before US President Barack Obama's visit, Home Secretary G.K. Pillai told CNN-IBN that the US disappointed New Delhi by not sharing information on David Headley. US ambassador Timothy Roemer denied the charge but refused to get into a war of words. Less than a fortnight before US president Barrack Obama visits india, Home Secretary GK Pillai revealed that India was disappointed with the US as...
07:30 PM, Oct 27, 2010
Barely a week ahead of US President Barack Obama's visit, Union Home Secretary GK Pillai has told CNN-IBN that India is disappointed that the US didn't share information on Lashkar-e-Toiba operative David Coleman Headley. He says specific information post 26/11 would have helped India apprehend Headley. He also says that militants can aim for a spectacular attack during Obama's visit and expresses fears that innocent civilians are likely to be...
02:04 PM, Oct 27, 2010
New Delhi: BlackBerry makers Research In Motion has yielded some ground and has decided to let the Indian Government access its messenger services, But it's not all clear as the standoff between the two sides continues over access to corporate e-mails. For those addicted to the BlackBerry messenger it was good news. Sources say owners of Research in Motion will provide an solution to access encrypted data shortly. RIM has...
12:22 AM, Aug 14, 2010
