New Delhi: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is still not keen on Law Minister Ashwani Kumar's removal, sources have told CNN-IBN. Sources add that Manmohan Singh is worried that if Ashwani Kumar goes, he too will come under further opposition fire. One of the solutions being worked out is that Ashwani Kumar's portfolio be changed. Sources have also told CNN-IBN that Railway Minister Pawan Bansal might not survive the cash for...
07:55 AM, May 10, 2013
New Delhi: Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) chief Ranjit Sinha on Thursday accepted the Supreme Court's observation that the country's premier investigating agency was a "caged parrot" that "speaks in its master's voice". Asked by reporters about his views on the apex court's caged parrot remark, Sinha said: "Whatever Supreme Court said is correct." Speaking on the autonomy of the agency, Sinha told reporters on Thursday that "it was for...
04:27 AM, May 10, 2013
New Delhi: The Left parties on Thursday sought a court-monitored CBI probe into the West Bengal chit fund scam and accused the Trinamool Congress-led government of not intervening to check activities of companies with suspicious financial dealings in the state. Senior leaders of Communist Party of India-Marxist, the Communist Party of India, the Revolutionary Socialist Party and Forward Bloc met President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh separately and...
03:25 AM, May 10, 2013
Kolkata: The Congress on Thursday ridiculed West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for "campaigning against the CBI", claiming that she was doing so to prevent the truth from coming out in the Saradha Group chit fund scam. "A chief minister should not campaign against a central investigating agency. It is ridiculous for her to do so," state Congress president Pradip Bhattacharya said referring to a Mamata post on a social...
02:46 AM, May 10, 2013
New Delhi: The Congress on Thursday remained non-committal on the continuance of its two ministers Ashwani Kumar and Pawan Kumar Bansal. The two have been under fire over allegations of misuse of power. On Thursday, while Bansal chose to skip the Cabinet meet at the PM's residence, Ashwani attended it. Sources said that the PM was still not keen on Ashwani's exit as that would expose him to opposition attack....
09:41 PM, May 09, 2013
New Delhi: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is still not keen on Law Minister Ashwani Kumar's exit, sources said on Thursday. The sources said that the PM's main worry was that he would be in the line of fire if Ashwani resigned. At the Cabinet meet at the PM's residence, the solution offered was changing the portfolio of Ashwani Kumar. Meanwhile, sources added that Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal is unlikely...
07:08 PM, May 09, 2013
New Delhi: Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal skipped a Cabinet meet at Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's residence on Thursday even as Law Minister Ashwani Kumar attended it. Both Bansal and Ashwani are under fire over the Railway Board bribery case and the coal scam probe respectively. Sources had earlier said that the Congress wanted the PM to decide on Ashwani's fate. Sources said the PM was seriously considering the possibility...
06:12 PM, May 09, 2013
New Delhi: Former corporate lobbyist Niira Radia, a key prosecution witness in the 2G spectrum allocation scam, is likely to appear before a Delhi court on May 28 to depose in the case. The CBI on Thursday submitted before Special CBI Judge OP Saini its list of prosecution witnesses to be called for recording of their statements before the court and Radia's evidence is slated for May 28. Radia, who...
05:25 PM, May 09, 2013
Kolkata: Chit fund company Saradha group's chief Sudipta Sen was on Thursday sent to 9-day police custody, along with two of his close aides - Debjani Mukherjee and Arvind Singh Chouhan. The Bidhan Nagar police had sought a 14-day extension of their custody. The Saradha group allegedly duped lakhs of investors in a chit fund scheme. The police have unearthed 254 bank accounts and close to 200 properties of the...
04:46 PM, May 09, 2013
New Delhi: The Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) on Thursday sought a detailed report from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on the government's interference in its draft coalgate report, sources said. The CBI has also been asked to submit its latest status report on the case to the Commission, official sources said, adding the CVC has taken cognizance of reports citing interference in CBI's probe in the coal blocks allocation...
04:36 PM, May 09, 2013
New Delhi: Law Minister Ashwani Kumar, who has been under pressure to resign after the Central Bureau of Investigation told the Supreme Court that he not only saw the coal scam report but also suggested some changes in it, is likely to be replaced. Sources say that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is seriously considering the possibility of replacing Ashwani Kumar. Sources say that the Manmohan Singh may either ask a...
02:26 PM, May 09, 2013
New Delhi: A day after the Supreme Court came down heavily on the government and the Central Bureau of Investigation for sharing the coal scam probe report, Attorney General GE Vahanvati met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday. Law Minister Ashwani Kumar had also reached the PMO to meet Manmohan Singh but he was not given an appointment. Vahanvati, Ashwani Kumar and the two officials of the PMO and the...
01:57 PM, May 09, 2013
Kolkata: Saradha Group chairman Sudipta Sen and his close aide Debjani Mukherjee were produced in a court on Thursday as their 14-day custody ended. Sources said police were likely to add two more charges as fresh FIRs have been registered against them on the basis of the new complaints filed by the investors. The police were also likely to ask for their custody for two more weeks. "The 14 days...
12:17 PM, May 09, 2013
New Delhi: As pressure builds on the Prime Minister to sack the Law Minister following the Supreme Court's observation on the affidavit filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with the coal scam, senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader LK Advani has hit out at Manmohan Singh alleging he is defending Ashwani Kumar to save himself. "Having decided to brazenly defend its two ministers, more particularly its...
11:29 AM, May 09, 2013
New Delhi: While the victory in Karnataka has come as a big boost for the Congress, the party-led UPA government has no reason to celebrate in Delhi. Pressure is building up on the government to oust Law Minister Ashwani Kumar, who allegedly ordered changes in CBI's status report on coal scam. Sources say while the Congress is yet to make up its mind on Ashwani's fate, the party is waiting...
08:51 AM, May 09, 2013
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday said that "tentative" findings of the CBI investigation into the coal allocation scam was the very heart of the report and its deletion made it directionless. In his affidavit filed April 6, 2013, CBI director Ranjit Sinha had said that the "tentative findings about the non-existence of a system regarding allocation of specific weightage/points was deleted" at the instance of the officials of...
05:27 AM, May 09, 2013
Kolkata: West Bengal is planning to start a social security scheme for depositors and investors to ensure proper return of public money following the Saradha chit fund mess, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said in Kolkata on Wednesday. "In the wake of growing financial insecurity, we are thinking of a social security scheme. It will ensure proper safety of public money and ensure safe and proper return. We will shortly put...
05:20 AM, May 09, 2013
The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) not to share details of its investigations into the coal scam with anybody. The apex court said that the CBI Director will be held directly responsible for it. ...
11:36 PM, May 08, 2013
The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) not to share details of its investigations into the coal scam with anybody. The apex court said that the CBI Director will be held directly responsible for it. ...
11:36 PM, May 08, 2013
Congress won the Karnataka Assembly elections on Wednesday by a huge margin. ...
11:24 PM, May 08, 2013
