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Journalism of Courage
PATNA amp; NEW DELHI, Oct 3: The elevation of Calcutta-based Central Bureau of Investigation CBI DIG Deepak Sinha to the rank of Joint Director has sparked speculation that he will replace incumbent UN Biswas. Biswas is to retire on October 31 and indications available here and in Delhi suggest the he will not get an extension.
Sinha8217;s transfer order states that he is to move to the Economic Offences Wing II at the investigating agency8217;s headquarters in Delhi. But whispers here suggest he will be reverted to Calcutta, the headquarters of the CBI8217;s eastern region operations, in place of Biswas.
Biswas is smarting under the snub handed out to him earlier this week by his Patna-based DIG RN Kaul. The DIG unilaterally replaced Rakesh Kumar who was chosen by Biswas with BK Shukla as the CBI counsel8217;s in a case relating to Laloo8217;s hospitalisation. The Patna High Court is hearing the ex-Chief Minister8217;s appeal against a CBI special court that ordered that he be examined only in the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in Delhi. He has pleaded that he be allowed to be admitted to Escorts Heart Institute instead.
The squabble over the choice of CBI counsel is only one aspect of the divisions within the CBI in the Bihar capital. Insiders sotto voce speak of growing mutual distrust among senior investigators, some even suggesting that second guessing each other is commonplace now. DIG Kaul is deemed to have the explicit support of CBI director RC Sharma in marginalising Biswas8217;s authority. Biswas, even under Joginder Singh8217;s directorship, had a choppy relationship with the CBI headquarters.
