CBI joint director probing Nirav Modi case repatriated to parent cadre

In a surprise move, the government has ordered the premature repatriation to his parent cadre of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) joint director Rajiv Singh, who has been supervising the probe of bank fraud cases against diamond merchants Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi, along with three other officers.

According to an order by the ministry of personnel on Wednesday, Singh, a 1993-batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer who was also overseeing a preliminary enquiry into potential criminality in ICICI Bank sanctioning a Rs 3,250 crore loan to Videocon Group, is being repatriated to Tripura at the request of the state government.

HT has seen a copy of the order, which listed three other CBI officers – joint director Nina Singh (a Rajasthan cadre 1989 batch IPS officer), superintendent of police R Gopal Krishna Rao (another Tripura cadre 2005 batch IPS officer) and deputy inspector general Anish Prasad (also a Tripura cadre 2003 batch IPS officer) -- who are also being sent back to their parent cadre at the request of the state governments, by way of premature repatriation or curtailment of tenure.

While the repatriation of Rajiv Singh, Nina Singh and Rao will implemented with immediate effect, Anish Prasad will go back on June 2, as per the order.

CBI officials said the agency received the order in the evening; it is not yet known whether the CBI will allow Rajiv Singh to go back to his parent cadre or will seek an extension of a month or two in order to allow him complete the robes he is overseeing.

Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi are accused of involvement in a scam to the tune of $2 billion at state-run Punjab National Bank. They both flew out of India before the scam surfaced in February.

A CBI spokesman was not available for comment. Secretary (personnel) C Chandramouli refused comment, saying he did not deal with it as it was an appointments committee of the cabinet (ACC) order. Singh did not respond to either calls or text messages.

Singh joined the CBI in August 2013 for an initial tenure of five years. He was to complete his tenure in August this year and was eligible to stay for a two-year extension under the government’s deputation policy.

Besides the bank fraud investigation division, Singh was looking after the administration wing of CBI.