The Centre has accorded sanction to the CBI to proceed with the prosecution of former Ambassador to Sudan Deepak Vohra and Under Secretary Ajoy Ganguly in a case related to alleged financial bungling in Indian diplomatic missions there.
The agency had sought sanction from the government following directions of a special court here which has rejected two closure reports filed by the agency against Ganguly, who was accused of corruption during his tenure as the Consul General of India at Juba, South Sudan from October, 2007 to May 6, 2009.
"There is sufficient material on record which discloses the commission of aforesaid offence by the above-named two officials (Vohra and Ganguly) in conspiracy with Ravindra Prakash," the court had said in March last year while rejecting the second closure report filed by the CBI.
The court had directed the CBI to get sanction to prosecute Ganguly for criminal conspiracy (120-B IPC) and fraudulently using forged documents as genuine (471 IPC) and provisions of the Prevention of Corruption (PC) Act.
It had directed to seek sanction for Vohra to be prosecuted under Section 108 IPC (Abettor) and relevant provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
“The government had accorded sanction to the CBI to prosecute the former officials,” an agency official said.
The CBI had initiated the probe against Ganguly and Indian national Prakash based in Juba in 2011 on the complaint of the Vigilance Department of the External Affairs Ministry.
Ganguly was accused of misappropriating $10,033.79 (over Rs 7 lakh as per present exchange rates) and Sudanese Pound SDG 235, submitting false Tour Allowance (TA) bills, purchasing diesel at a higher rate than market; payment of agency charges for hiring office of the Indian Consulate to a fictitious person/agent, hiring of Consulate premises at a higher rate, hiring of private car despite availability of official car among others.
Prakash had allegedly connived and conspired with Ganguly to embezzle the funds of the Indian Government.