Two more private companies have come under the Central Bureau of Investigation scanner in the corporate espionage case in which foreign investment policy papers were allegedly stolen from government offices and sold to corporates.
Though the CBI has not yet filed a charge sheet in the case, agency sources said the probe was at an advanced stage and that the roles of two more firms were being examined.
Six people, including three government officials, have been arrested so far.
The agency unearthed the nexus on March 12 with the arrest of a Mumbai-based chartered accountant and two government employees on charges of stealing and selling Finance and Commerce Ministries’ documents to private firms.
Among those arrested later was Paresh Chimanlal Buddhadev, a partner in Mumbai-based Chitale & Associates, on charges of obtaining classified papers and destroying evidence. The CBI seized a pile of documents during searches at his official premises.
Several mid-ranking officials in the Finance and the Commerce Ministries came under the CBI scrutiny. Investigations were also initiated into the suspected role of several entities dealing in real-estate, pharmaceutical products and banking services.
Senior officials of these private companies were questioned. A senior Reliance Industries Limited official was examined for alleged links with the accused chartered accountant, whereas a manager with PricewaterhouseCoopers India was also summoned.
