The Central Vigilance Commission has detected tax evasion of about Rs 1,000 crore by government departments and private companies in carrying out Commonwealth Games-related works.
With Bharatiya Janata Party demanding annulment of the government's decision to appoint Ranjit Sinha as the new Central Bureau of Investigation director, Minister of State for Personnel V Narayanasamy on Friday said his selection has been done "in a fair manner following the due process".
Dr Singh should explain his worries, concerns, hopes and determination to act to the people through the media, says B Raman
Central Vigilance Commissioner Pradeep Kumar will hold a high-level meeting on Tuesday to decide on the next Central Bureau of Investigation director.
Congress rebel Jaganmohan Reddy's mother Vijayamma on Thursday met leaders of political parties seeking their support in her campaign against the alleged harassment of her jailed son and complained to Chief Vigilance Commissioner about the "ulterior motive" of CBI in the case.
Six IPS officers have been shortlisted for the post of the CBI director once incumbent A P Singh retires in November. Sheela Bhatt reports
So far, CBI's investigations into the coal scam are highly superficial and limited to small fishes. It is unlikely to go deeper in the political connections, a source tells rediff.com
The Central Vigilance Commission on Thursday said the Central Bureau of Investigation was probing the alleged irregularities in coal blocks allocation in an independent manner and there was no pressure on the investigating agency.
Late cartoonist Mario Miranda, actors Dharmendra and Shabana Azmi, top mathematician M S Raghunathan, former Chief Vigilance Commissioner N Vittal and industry leader B Muthuraman were among those conferred the Padma awards by President Pratibha Patil in New Delhi on Wednesday.
Former Indian Space Research Organisation chief G Madhavan Nair and three other senior scientists, who were barred from holding any government posts, have been indicted by the country's top space body-appointed committee for acts of commission in the Antrix-Devas deal.
Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday described the Supreme Court's latest observations in the 2G spectrum case as the "second indictment" of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh after the Chief Vigilance Commissioner fiasco and hoped that he will now draw the "right lessons" and not defend any corrupt minister.
Reacting sharply to Narendra Modi's barbs on the government over the coal controversy, Congress on Tuesday sought to turn the table on the Gujarat chief minister by reminding him of the graft allegations made against his government recently.
Government on Thursday said former Indian Space Research Organisation chief G Madhavan Nair was given a "due and adequate chance" by a high-level panel to put forth his views on the action taken against him in connection with irregularities in the Antrix-Devas deal.
President Pratibha Patil cancelled the appointment of P J Thomas on Monday as Central Vigilance Commissioner, 11 days after the Supreme Court quashed his selection by a high-power committee headed by Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh.
Cancellation of 2G licenses by the Supreme Court clearly revealed a big scam and it was a "collective failure" of the government which "overlooked" warnings given by the Comptroller and Auditor General and the Central Vigilance Commissioner on the issue, Janata Party chief Subramanian Swamy said on Thursday. "Everyone had warned, including the CAG and the CVC, but the government overlooked it," Swamy said soon after the Supreme Court cancelled the 122 spectrum licenses.
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Lokpal Bill will meet in New Delhi on September 7 to decide its procedure to fast track the comprehensive exercise for formulating a strong legislation. It will kick off its work by hearing Central Bureau of Investigation director A P Singh and Central Vigilance Commissioner Pradeep Kumar who have been sent notices to appear before it.
The former central vigilance commissioner, PJ Thomas has remained tightlipped ever since the Supreme Court ruled his appointment as illegal. In this candid interview, Thomas's counsel, Wills Mathews, tells rediff.com that the President's order is unconstitutional and that the Supreme Court order itself was shocking, as it did not have the jurisdiction to pass such an order.
Welcoming the Supreme Court's verdict quashing P J Thomas' appointment as chief vigilance commissioner, Kerala Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan demanded the resignation of those "responsible" for his posting including Home Minister P Chidambaram.
Central Vigilance Commissioner P J Thomas has dragged Dr Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in the controversy surrounding the Palmolein import case. In his latest affidavit, Thomas states the PM knew about his pending Palmolein import case since 2008 and the Kerala government's request to withdraw sanction of prosecution.
The Lokpal Bill is set to be put on the fast-track with the Parliamentary panel on Law taking it for examination from Friday by hearing views of Aruna Roy and Jaiprakash Narayan who have presented their own drafts.
Irked by delay in response to queries raised by it, the Central Vigilance Commissioner (CVC) may summon officials of Union and State governments in connection with alleged financial irregularities in different Commonwealth Games related projects.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan on Tuesday told the Maharashtra assembly that he, as Union Minister of State for Personnel and Training, was unaware of any negative vigilance report or pending criminal case against P J Thomas before the latter's appointment as the Central Vigilance Commissioner.
The new Chief Vigilance Commissioner Pradeep Kumar has spoken out in his first television interview since taking charge on July 14. In an exclusive interview with CNN-IBN, Kumar made it clear that there was no question of buckling under any kind of political pressure and that the battle against corruption will continue. The excerpts
Former Chief Vigilance Commissioner P J Thomas on Tuesday withdrew from the Delhi high court his plea for direction to the Rashtrapati Bhavan to decide his representation against the Supreme Court order sacking him. During the hearing, the counsel for Thomas tried to clarify the position saying he did not want to challenge the Supreme Court order before the high court.
The Bharatiya Janata Party welcomed the judgement of the Supreme Court of India quashing the appointment Central Vigilance Commissioner P J Thomas. BJP spokeperson Ravi Shankar Prasad said that in view of the order of the honourable Supreme Court, 'the time has come for Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh to introspect.'
P J Thomas, whose appointment as Chief Vigilance Commissioner was cancelled by President Pratibha Patil after the Supreme Court held it as illegal, has moved the Delhi high court seeking stay of the appointment of his successor who is being sworn in on Thursday.
Defence Secretary Pradeep Kumar was on Saturday unanimously chosen the next chief vigilance commissioner, four months after the Supreme Court had quashed the appointment of P J Thomas to the post.
Four months after the Supreme Court quashed the appointment of P J Thomas, a high-level committee chaired by Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh on Saturday finalised the name for the post of chief vigilance commissioner.
The Supreme Court reserved its verdict on petitions challenging the appointment of former bureaucrat P J Thomas, who is facing a corruption case in a Kerala court, as Central Vigilance Commissioner.
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday cornered the government for 'defending' Chief Vigilance Commissioner P J Thomas in the Supreme Court, asking Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress President Sonia Gandhi as to what was the 'compulsion' to defend the 'tainted' official and attack the upright comptroller and auditor general.
Bharatiya Janata Party president Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday slammed the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government at the Centre for defending the appointment of P J Thomas as the Central Vigilance Commissioner.
The Centre on Monday strongly defended the appointment of controversial bureaucrat P J Thomas as the central vigilance commissioner, saying he was an 'outstanding officer' with 'impeccable integrity'. In an affidavit in the Supreme Court cleared by Attorney General G E Vahanvati, the government also said there was no need for 'consensus' of the three-member high powered committee on CVC's appointment.
Aggrieved by being referred as "tainted" and being listed in the category of "men who shamed India" by the media, former Central Vigilance Commissioner P J Thomas has approached the Supreme Court seeking a Central Bureau of Investigation probe into alleged distortion in the reporting of his case.
The ministries have been asked to give details of any contracts that are valued at more than Rs 2 crore.
"The CVC is a very important Constitutional position and naturally the position should be held by a person who is absolutely above board. The government is seized of the matter and will deal accordingly," senior NCP leader and Union minister Praful Patel told reporters.
The blame game over the Central Vigilance Commissioner appointment fiasco refused to die down with the surfacing of a letter on Thursday that the Kerala government wrote to the Centre in 2006 saying it wanted to go ahead with the graft case against P J Thomas.
Refusing to let Prime Minister Manmohan Singh off the hook over the appointment of P J Thomas as the central vigilance commissioner, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday asked Dr Singh if he would fix the responsibility for the error."Since the prime minister has very graciously accepted the error of judgment, would he now appreciate that responsibility and accountability co-exist? Does the prime minister now intend to fix accountability within the government," he asked.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday virtually blamed former Minister of State (personnel) Prithviraj Chavan for the fiasco involving appointment of P J Thomas as central vigilance commissioner, saying the note forwarded by him for the selection committee did not have information about corruption case against Thomas.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday termed as 'error of judgement' the appointment of P J Thomas as Chief Vigilance Commissioner and told the Lok Sabha that he accepted 'full responsibility' for it.
Bharatiya Janata Party leader Sushma Swaraj on Saturday sought to downplay the divergent views expressed by her and the party after Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh owned responsibility for the central vigilance commissioner fiasco, saying there was "no difference" of opinion and blamed limitations of words in twitter for it.