Transfer racket: ‘Accused IB officer had good record, got several awards’

The FIR does not mention money being received by Kameshwar, but in its remand application the CBI has stated that it was verifying an earlier complaint against the accused.

transfer racket case, CBI, CBI probe, Kautilya Award, Sukriti Awards, IB officer Kameshwar, indian express news

The CBI registered an FIR in August stating that Delhi Police Inspector Banay Singh Meena had conspired with property dealer Arun Tiwari in relation to his posting. (File)

One of the accused in the transfer racket case registered by the CBI is an Intelligence Bureau (IB) officer who has received a medal from the President, a Kautilya Award, four Sukriti Awards and three commendation certificates, according to court records. The CBI registered an FIR in August stating that Delhi Police Inspector Banay Singh Meena had conspired with property dealer Arun Tiwari in relation to his posting. The CBI alleged that Tiwari “contacted” businessman Rajan Kumar and IB officer Kameshwar for Meena’s posting in lieu of Rs 10 lakh. All four were arrested.

The court on Friday remanded all the accused, including Kameshwar, in five days’ judicial custody. The FIR does not mention money being received by Kameshwar, but in its remand application the CBI has stated that it was verifying an earlier complaint against the accused. According to court records, the CBI has stated that Kameshwar — who goes by his first name — has a “good” service record. The records state that Kameshwar received Sarahaniya Seva Medal from the then President Pranab Mukherjee in 2014 for exemplary work. He also received four Sukriti Awards, three commendation certificates and Kautilya Award.

According to the records, Kameshwar has served in Srinagar, Patna, Ranchi and Guwahati and was currently serving as IB Assistant Director since 2010. He is credited with busting a Khalistan Liberation Force module led by Malkiat Singh Ajnala while he was deployed in Patna for coverage of Sikh militancy rooted at “Takhat Patna Saheb”. He received the Kautiliya Award in 1993 for this work.

The records say that while he was posted in Guwahati, Kameshwar was involved in a counter-insurgency operation and credited with masterminding the surrender of Dima Halam Daogah (Jewel Group) militants in 2009. According to a report, these militants had “unleashed a reign of terror” in the region, killing several people in 2009 and attacking passengers in trains, resulting in suspension of railway services for months.

On Friday, the CBI submitted in court that the investigation into the transfer racket case was not complete and “important witnesses” were yet to be examined. “CFSL opinion is to be obtained, important documents are to be collected and sanction for prosecution is to be obtained,” the CBI said, after which the court extended their judicial custody.

The FIR stated that Rajan Kumar, claiming to be a senior government functionary, stayed in government accommodation in the name of Kameshwar — who was in an alleged nexus with co-accused Tiwari — and ensured “undue favours related to transfers and posting of public servant”. A search of Kumar’s premises yielded Rs 1.6 lakh, rubber stamps of various ministries/departments of the Government of India, forged letterheads of senior government officers and other incriminating documents, the CBI told the court.

Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram