NEW DELHI, Nov 1: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), finding prima facie evidence against Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) Director General Ravi Kant Sharma for misusing official machinery and manpower, on October 26 called for all files pertaining to recruitment, postings and transfers in the organisation.Sharma, a Punjab-cadre Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of 1962 batch, among other things, has been accused of effecting transfers, postings and recruitment in the CISF at the behest of a Jaipur-based tantrik Akhilesh Sharma. Another charge, under probe by CBI, is that the tantrik had been provided accommodation in various government guest houses in Delhi, even though the room was invariably booked in the name of a CISF official, Additional Inspector General (Administration) O D Mathur.Sources in the CBI said confidential files containing allegations and complaints against Sharma, have also been sent to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO). The PMO had asked for the dossier after itreceived a spate of complaints against the CISF chief.While the DG himself was not available for comment, speaking on his behalf, CISF spokesman S K Shukla said the DG was not aware of any CBI inquiry against him. ``Some CBI officers were here about six months ago but after some questioning they were satisfied. It is only some disgruntled elements in the force who are spreading this canard,'' he said.The CISF is the third largest para-military force in the country, responsible for security of 250-odd public sector units as well as some sensitive nuclear installations.The CBI has received records which show that the tantrik had stayed in guest houses of the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC), the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), the Port Trust of India, Curzon Road Hostel and Rajasthan Bhawan.When contacted Mathur first said that it is possible that the room might have been booked for his guest. Then he said, it might have been for himself before he came to Delhi in July. But when told that therecords were of as late as September, he said, ``this is a democracy. Anything is possible.''Other charges against the DG included misusing CISF manpower by providing himself with excessive security of up to 100 personnel as well as that for the tantrik's religious organisation in Jaipur. The CBI has calculated that the monthly security bill run up by the DG was to the tune of Rs 7 lakh.During the inquiry, the CBI found that Sharma had run up a telephone bill of Rs 5.12 lakh for a period of 14 months in 1996-97. The number most often called turned out to be the tantrik's Jaipur number. This was when the tantrik was not in Delhi, though sources said, he stayed in Delhi nearly 15 days in a month and was a figure often encountered in the CISF headquarters.
