CVC recommended criminal proceedings in 72 cases last year, says report

CBI registered 608 cases and 102 preliminary enquiries last year

September 29, 2020 09:21 am | Updated 09:21 am IST - NEW DELHI

The Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) in 2019 received 35,649 cases, of which 34,813 were disposed of. In 72 cases, the anti-corruption body recommended initiation of criminal proceedings, according to its annual report.

The CBI, which comes under the CVC supervision, registered 608 cases and 102 preliminary enquiries last year, compared to 765 cases and 134 preliminary enquiries in 2018. The agency finalised probe in 1,012 cases. Investigation/inquiry remained pending in 1,239 cases, as against 1,541 in the previous year. In 744 cases, compared to 898 in 2018, probe was pending for over a year.

Conviction rate

The conviction rate in CBI cases improved slightly, from 68% in 2018 to 69.19%. Convictions were secured in 467 cases, while there were 186 acquittals.

The CVC report said reasons for the delay in concluding the CBI probe included work overload, inadequate manpower, delay in getting responses to Letters Rogatory sent abroad, verification of documents, delays in getting forensic reports, receipt of prosecution sanction and the supply of departmental records, besides the time taken to scrutinise voluminous records and locating witnesses.

The Commission tendered advices in 3,157 cases, which included the advice to initiate major penalty proceedings in 493 cases and minor penalty proceedings in 193 cases as its first stage advice. Imposition of major penalty was advised in 110 cases, minor penalty was suggested in 96 cases.

Pursuant to the CVC’s advice, the competent authorities in various organisations issued sanction for prosecution against 76 public servants and imposed major penalties on 778 public servants and minor penalties on 503 public servants.

Senior officials

Among the senior officials, against whom prosecution sanctions were secured, are an Additional Secretary and a Joint Secretary with the Department of Economic Affairs, another Joint Secretary with the Department of Health and Family Welfare, a former ISRO Chairman and, a former Chairman-cum-Managing Director of Fertilisers and Chemicals, Travancore.

The sanction of prosecution was also given against a Chief Commissioner and a Commissioner with the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), a Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) Commissioner and two IAS officials with the Department of Personnel and Training.

A General Manager of the Bank of Maharashtra, an Additional Director and ex officio CEO of the National Board of Examinations were removed from service, while the pension of a Railway Ministry official, two General Managers of the Department of Telecom, a Chief Commissioner of CBIC, a CBDT Commissioner and a PF Commissioner were cut.

The salaries of a Railway Recruitment Board Chairman, two Chief Engineers and another official of the Railway Ministry, a CBDT Commissioner, a Deputy Director-General of Prasar Bharati, three officials of the NHAI and one of Shipping Ministry were reduced.

Administrative action

Among the public servants on whom punishments, including administrative action, were imposed were those from the Railway Ministry (287), Syndicate Bank (198), Punjab National Bank (154), State Bank of India (104), Canara Bank (88), Bank of Baroda ( 67), National Thermal Power Corporation (64), Airports Authority of India (62), CBIC (58) and Indian Overseas Bank (53).

Under the Public Interest Disclosure and Protection of Informers’ Resolution (whistleblower complaints) system, the Commission received 899 complaints. Of these, 148 were sent to the respective Chief Vigilance Officers or the Central Bureau of Investigation for probe, verification or comments.

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