| Author |
 Topic  |
|
|
S.ravi
Advanced Member
India
4205 Posts |
 Posted - 11/06/2009 : 20:16:51
|
Railways too had Tripathi on its radar
Neha Shukla, TNN 7 November 2009, 06:43am IST
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/lucknow/Railways-too-had-Tripathi-on-its-radar/articleshow/5205018.cms
LUCKNOW: Even before he was caught red-handed by the Central Bureau of Investigation accepting a bribe, senior Indian Railways officer KM
Tripathi already had trouble brewing for him. He had been receiving correspondence from vigilance wing of the Railways over alleged "procedural irregularities in Lucknow regional office of IRCTC'' and also his "behaviour''.
Lucknow office was already under the scanner of vigilance wing of the Railways. "Something might have come out of the investigations we were carrying out,'' a senior Railways officer posted at New Delhi told TOI on condition of anonymity. But before that, CBI raid happened and Tripathi was caught, he added.
Tripathi, chief regional manager, Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), Lucknow, was arrested on November 1 by the CBI from his official residence when he was caught red-handed accepting a bribe of Rs 70,000 from a contractor.
While the CBI registered a case of bribery and disproportionate assets against him, a case has also been lodged with the Hazratganj police under provisions of Arms Act and Excise Act. "There is no record per se on how many complaints had come against individual regional offices,'' said sources.
But they confirmed that complaints received against the regional office of IRCTC in Lucknow caused them to look into the matter. "Catering is one section that always receives complaints but there were complaints about the official's behaviour too,'' said sources.
Had the charges been proved in the investigation, his case might have been referred to CVC through the Railway Board. And the official might have invited equally serious action against him as now. Tripathi is currently under suspension and till CBI does not complete its enquiry, his fate remains undecided. Since CBI is already investigating the matter, Railways might not do the same.
Posting at IRCTC is a "sensitive one'' going by the Railway's own categorisation that it has a lot of public dealing involved. Railway Board has clear directives that no official can occupy a sensitive post which involves lot of public dealing for more than four years (if it is not on deputation). Besides, it has to be a two years' gap before an official resumes a sensitive post again.
The Board has also laid down that any railway official can not stay for more than 10 years period at a place. But according to a vigilance official in one of the zonal railways, "we keep pressurising executives on this rule but it hardly helps''.
|
|
|
S.ravi
Advanced Member
India
4205 Posts |
Posted - 11/07/2009 : 06:27:41
|
Tripathi washes hands off firearm, says it is a conspiracy
TNN 7 November 2009, 06:40am IST
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/lucknow/Tripathi-washes-hands-off-firearm-says-it-is-a-conspiracy/articleshow/5205015.cms
LUCKNOW: The first 24 hours of the three-day police remand of KM Tripathi that began around noon on Friday, concluded with zero results after the
accused denied any knowledge of the 9 mm pistol reportedly seized from his Mall Avenue residence on October 31, last. Provided with all the comforts possible, Tripathi spent the better part of the day on one-to-ones with the middle and senior rung police officers at Hazratganj Kotwali where the latter appeared more inclined towards an audience with Tripathi than otherwise.
The now suspended chief regional manager (CRM) of the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), KM Tripathi was arrested by a team of the Central Bureau of Investigations (CBI) from his Mall Avenue residence on October 31. The arrest came after he was caught red-handed accepting Rs 70,000 in cash as bribe from a contractor to allot catering contract jobs. While searching the house thereafter, the CBI seized Rs 30 lakh in cash, around two kilogramme of gold and silver ornaments, a 9 mm pistol and bottles of high-end branded imported liquor in quantity exceeding the permissible limits.
A separate case was lodged with the Hazratganj police under the provisions of Arms Act and Excise Act in connection with the recovery of the pistol and liquor. The Hazratganj police moved a city court seeking Tripathi's custody to workout the case of the prohibited bore pistol recovered from his house. The court granted a three-day police remand starting 11 am on Friday.
Tripathi reached the Hazratganj police station around noon after which he remained busy interacting with the senior police officials who interacted with him behind closed doors for hours at a stretch. By late evening, the investigation officer (IO) of the case got his chance to talk to Tripathi after which it was revealed that the suspended IRS not only washed his hands off the firearm, but even tried to suggest that the weapon was planted by the CBI as a part of a conspiracy against him.
Earlier, while seeking police remand, the Hazratganj police had informed the court that Tripathi was to be taken to Gorakhpur to identify the man who gave him the pistol. With the investigators drawing a blank on day one, it would not be surprising to find the accused eventually let off the charges in the later stages of the probe.
What add credence to this possibility is the fact that if the police failed to make any breakthrough into the case during the three-day remand period, it would be difficult to establish his complicity in the case.
It is noteworthy here that the senior police officials, on the day the weapon was seized, had expressed a strong possibility that the recovered firearm was the one robbed from a police sub-inspector in Gorakhpur sometime ago. With the police apparently unprepared to question the senior IRS officer properly, chances were bleak that the investigators would be able to establish a link between the pistol and Tripathi even if the culprits who may have handed over the pistol to Tripathi, were arrested and confessed to their crime.
More Stories from this section
* |
 |
|
| |
Topic |
|
|
|
Railways too had Tripathi on its radar
