A thief gives a certificate to a crook

Bansal cannot be blamed for Railway Ministry's appointments scam: C.K. Jaffer Sharief Bangalore, May 7 (ANI): Former union railway minister C. K. Jaffer Sharief on Tuesday said that incumbent Railway Minister Pawan Bansal cannot be blamed for the latest appointments scam dogging his ministry, as he had no direct role to play in it.

Interacting with media here, he said: " The appointment of an officer has nothing to do with the minister in any ministry. The Cabinet Committee of Appointment appoints the officers. The railway minister cannot act on his own," Jaffer Sharief said.

"The allegations are wrong. Let the investigative agencies look into it," he added.

Jaffer Sharief was reacting to an opposition charge that Bansal had a hand to play in facilitating a request from Mahesh Kumar, Member (Staff) Railway Board, to be considered for a shift to the post of Member (Electrical) for a "pre-agreed fee/commission".

Mahesh Kumar had allegedly paid a bribe of Rs.90 lakh as a first installment to Bansal's nephew Vijay Singla. He was reportedly ready to pay an amount of between Rs.2 crore and Rs.10 crore. He has since been placed on suspension.

According to television reports, Kumar was placed under suspension after receipt of a report from CBI in the said matter. Kumar was arrested by the CBI after the agency apprehended him in Mumbai while his conduit was paying the bribe to Singla.

With the arrest of Kumar and another middle man Rahul Yadav, CBI claims the total number of arrests has gone to nine in the bribery case. Earlier, two courier boys, who had allegedly delivered 90 lakh rupees bribe to Bansal's nephew for fixing the promotion of a Railway Board member, were arrested by the agency.

On Saturday, Bansal met Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and party chief Sonia Gandhi and apprised them that he had not been in touch for a while with his nephew.

Bansal had earlier said that he had no business links with him and denied any wrongdoing. 64-year-old Bansal, who was made Railway Minister in October last year, also sought an expeditious CBI inquiry into the issue. "I have always observed highest standard of probity in public life and look forward to an expeditious investigation by CBI in the matter," he said in a statement. (ANI)

Who is C K Jaffer Sharief?

It was alleged that, in 1995, he as an Union minister had unauthorisedly taken four of his official staff on a trip to London for his treatment causing a loss of 700000 (US$13,000) to the public exchequer.

Subsequently, CBI registered an First Information Report (FIR) against him in 1998 and later filed a Charge-sheet.

In 2005, CBI filed a closure report in the court due to refusal of sanction to prosecute Sharief (which is required before prosecuting a public official).

However, the court decided to proceed with the case.

Sharief's appeal to stay criminal proceedings was dismissed by the Supreme court of India on 10 May, 2012.

On 3 July 2012, Special CBI found sufficient prima facie evidence and framed charges. The court ordered that trial will begin on 21 August 2012.

So here is a person, accused of corruption, supporting another accused of corruption.

A thief supporting a crook.

It comes naturally.

Here again, the corruption case could not proceed as the Congress government did not give sanction to prosecute C K Jaffer Sharief.