The Centre has ordered a CBI enquiry into the mysterious disappearance of a whistleblower who had exposed the missing of priceless artifacts at the Kolkata-based Indian Museum, where he was the Chief Conservation Officer.
It has been two months since the officer in question Sunil Kumar Upadhyay was reported missing by his friends and family, who allege foul play. The latest development has come as a big moral boost for the family who had approached the Supreme Court last month with a petition to trace out their missing kin. The Court had issued notice to the Centre, West Bengal Government and CBI and their responses are awaited by next week.
The Ministry of Culture's decision came to light after the missing officer's brother filed an RTI. On August 14, 2014 the Ministry replied indicating that the present NDA Government was not only concerned about the fate of the missing officer but was even interested to probe deep into the previous Government's conduct to turn a blind eye towards alleged irregularities reported about the Indian Museum by way of revelations made by Upadhyay, later followed up by a damning Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report (Report No 18 of 2013) pointing to gross mismanagement at the museum.
Annexing both the letter of the Ministry along with the CAG report to his petition, the missing officer's brother Krishan Mohan Upadhyay has filed an application in Supreme Court requesting to place these documents in support of his allegation indicating foul play behind his brother's untimely disappearance from his Kolkata home.
Interestingly, the Culture Minister Shripad Naik soon after taking charge in June this year dispatched a senior officer of the Ministry to inspect the Indian Museum. The officer who visited Kolkata on July 22-23 submitted a report based on which the Ministry has sought an explanation from the Director, Indian Museum. In addition it said, “Director CBI has been requested to take up the case of disappearance of Sunil Kumar Upadhyay, Preservation Officer, Indian Museum.”
The application also highlighted how the Kolkata Police evaded response on a similar RTI query on this issue. When asked to tell the status of probe on a complaint about missing Upadhyay, the Joint Commissioner of Police on August 20, 2014 replied saying that the Indian Museum, Kolkata was the “appropriate authority” to give information in this regard.
“This clearly establishes the indecisive, insensitive, ineffeicient, perverse approach of the Kolkata Police to the present case,” stated the application filed by Upadhyay's kin in SC through counsel Anirudh Sharma.
With the matter referred to the CBI and the Supreme Court set to monitor the pending enquiry, it could well lead to opening of a Pandora Box as the CAG too has faulted the Museum authorities for maintaining no records of priceless artifacts, fake antiquities on display, and antiquities of national importance making way to international auction houses - Sotheby's, Christie's, without any government record to show ASI or any agency participating or approving of such sale.