CBI Director Ranjit Sinha may face a hard time explaining the Supreme Court that the decision to transfer out four senior officers from the fodder scam probe would not prejudice the crucial trial in nine cases pending in a Ranchi court.
An affidavit filed by the agency in SC last week has revealed that till the time of passing the order by Supreme Court on April 29, 2013 when the transfers were stayed, two out of the four officers had been relieved. Officers of subordinate ranks replaced them to monitor the probe.
The four officers who were served with transfer orders early April this year included Ajay Kumar Jha, Asheesh Kumar, BK Singh and D Murmoo. Of them, Singh and Murmoo were relieved on April 12 from the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of CBI, Ranchi branch and shifted to Nagpur and Bangalore. The four officers are of the rank of Deputy Superintendent of Police.
The CBI has claimed, “Suitable substitutes have been provided against the officers who have been transferred from this branch and the new officers would pursue the left over task.”
The two substitutes to whom the investigation has been handed are OP Chandra and AK Sinha. Incidentally, the new IOs are Inspectors and not DSPs.
Although the CBI affidavit has claimed that the cases were “promptly monitored” by Superintendent of Police on day-to-day basis, in a case which involves high profile politicians and at present being at a delicate stage of trial, similar or higher ranked officers should have taken over, sources said.
A total of nine cases arising out of the fodder scam of 1996 are pending trial at various stages. On its part, the CBI maintained, “There is no likelihood that the said transfers would cause prejudice to the smooth trial.”
But there eyebrows are being raised on yet another aspect of the transfers. Going by the CBI version, as per the Transfer Policy of CBI, officers from the rank of Sub-Inspector to Additional SP can remain posted in one branch for a maximum period of six years and in one station upto 12 years.
In the case of the four officers, CBI maintained that they had continued in the branch for over 11 years. “But besides the officers handling the fodder scam, the CBI affidavit names not a single officer to be similarly transferred except the four DSPs in question,” the sources maintained.