The government on Sunday conceded that the CBI raids at the house of DMK leader M K Stalin and M K Alagiri in connection with seizure of imported cars was wrongly timed. It also said the CBIs action was not targeted against any individual.
Union minister V Narayanasamy said the case related to illegal import of cars by a businessman that was being investigated by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence and it was found that one of its officers was in collusion with him. DRI officer was not doing anything for two years. The case was transferred to CBI two months back. CBI after finding a prima facie case filed an FIR, he said at an editors conference here.
He added: CBI started investigation and raided 19 places. Seventeen cars were recovered. It is not a single individual. Nineteen places in the whole of Chennai were raided. How do you say that it targeted that gentleman Stalin? He said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Finance Minister P Chidambaram have also said the timing of the raid was wrong. It will be taken in a different way by the people, he added.
The investigation process is entirely the domain of the CBI. I can only consider promotion,transfer of CBI. Thats all I can see, said Narayanasamy,who is the minister in charge of Personnel,Public Grievances and Pensions which acts as administrative department for CBI.
He also said the Lokpal Bill will come up for a discussion in Parliament during the second part of the budget session,which will resume towards the end of April. Narayanasamy said the government wanted to get the Bill passed in the Rajya Sabha. After April 22,we are ready to discuss it, he added.