Citing huge delays in prosecution of high profile corruption cases, BJP leader Subramanian Swamy on Friday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to form an inter-departmental monitoring mechanism in the prosecution proceedings.
In a detailed letter to Modi, Swamy said all agency heads and prosecutors must sit together regularly to speed up the big corruption cases. Swamy blamed the prosecution for lethargy in handling the 2G scam appeal, Aircel-Maxis and INX-Media bribery case and National Herald cases.
“There is, without doubt, an inordinate and inexplicable delay in prosecution of many corruption cases by the Government, which had happened during the UPA tenure at the Centre. Be it 2G Scam appeal pending in Delhi High Court, prosecution in the pending trial of those out on bail viz., Chidambaram involving his and his son’s bribery in Aircel-Maxis and INX Media bribery cases, or cases against Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi in the National Herald Income Tax evasion of Rs. 450 crores, and cases of eviction and seizing of Herald House by Young Indian Pvt Ltd company owned by these two accused held up in Supreme Court.
“In the past seven years there has not yet been a finality or conviction in these cases, which is clearly due to the induced lack of enthusiasm of the prosecutors led by the Solicitor General and other advocates of the Government as also the concerned agencies like CBI, Income Tax, and ED. After the adverse judgment in 2G Spectrum Scam case in the trial court, CBI and ED’s appeal in Delhi High Court has been pending since March 2018. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta is the Special Public Prosecutor of this case. For more than three years, the 2G Spectrum Scam case appeal has not yet crossed even the Grant of Appeal stage,” said Swamy, accusing the SG, who has not yet appeared in Court during the 2G Scam appeal.
He also pointed out delays by agencies and prosecutors in providing foreign money trail details in Aircel-Maxis scam. Swamy also accused prosecution for making wrong decisions in INX-Media bribery case trial by objecting to Chidambaram’s petition for access to documents seized.
Swamy said that delays in prosecution in high profile cases are hurting our party’s (BJP) image since our campaign in 2014 onwards in various elections at the national and local levels, had made fighting corruption a key plank of election campaigns.