Raman faces dissent from his Home Minister

The bone of contention: a Special Investigation Cell created in July 2010 by Raipur IG Mukesh Gupta.

In his drive to cleanse the police department,Chhattisgarh Home Minister Nanki Ram Kanwar says he is facing resistance from Chief Minister Raman Singh. The bone of contention: a Special Investigation Cell created in July 2010 by Raipur IG Mukesh Gupta.

While Kanwar claims that the cell is illegal,created to favour influential persons on the pretext of probing property sales and hence should be discontinued,the police pay no heed with the CMs directions,he alleges.

Not just without my consent,the cell was created without even informing me. How can the Home Minister be kept in the dark? In the name of probing property deals,this cell is only extorting money from innocent people,harassing them, Kanwar told The Indian Express,leveling corruption charges against his own department.

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I only want to cleanse the system. I asked the government on many occasions,wrote many letters who created it,and why without my permission but I never got any reply, he added.

In a June 27,2011 letter to Principal Secretary (Home),Kanwar raised objections over the cell functioning. I am informed that a Special Investigation Cell has been created,which registers cases involving sale-purchase of land. As property rates are very high in Raipur,buyers are harassed. Such cases should be sent to related police stations. Under which government order the cell was created, he wrote.

Despite sending repeated reminders,the Home Minister said he neither received any copy of the contentious government order nor any reply from the police or CMO.

Over the past 18 months,the cell has investigated many high-profile cases,and has faced many controversies.

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Tiwaris letter noted that Section 36 of the CrPC gave the police the right to undertake such investigation and the responsibility was given to IG Raipur (Mukesh Gupta).

Kanwar refuted the IG and claimed it to be a misuse of Section 36. First they replied after so many months,and then misinterpreted it. The cell is illegal. He then showed the CrPC and cited a Calcutta High Court order that the powers under Section 36 should be exercised only when necessary.

Kanwar is fuming. The cell is working in an illegal manner. Policemen are turning into extortionists. If the CM wants it to continue what can I say?

Singh said: There is no conflict of opinion with the Home Minister.