In Jharkhand, BJP knocks at governor door, seeks CBI probe against IAS officer

RANCHI: Upping the ante against the Hemant Soren government, opposition BJP on Monday went to the Raj Bhavan seeking its intervention for lodging a case against the former home secretary-cum-CM’s principal secretary, Rajiv Arun Ekka, under the provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act and Official Secrets Act, initiating a CBI probe and his immediate suspension.
On Sunday, BJP released a 47-second video of Ekka allegedly dealing with official files from the office of Vishal Chaudhary, one of the suspects in the laundering scam being probed by the enforcement directorate (ED). Hours later, Ekka was transferred to the panchayati raj department.
“Unimpressed” by the government’s transfer of Ekka, a nine-member delegation of saffron camp, comprising state arty president Deepak Prakash, veteran leader Babulal Marandi and Rajya Sabha MP Aditya Sahu among others, went to the Raj Bhavan in the evening. They formally met governor C P Radhakrishnan to submit a two-page memorandum along with a pen drive containing the video.
The memorandum said the video “exposes” how “power brokers are running the show under Soren’s watch” and said the episode has the potential to put both state and national security at risk.
“He (Ekka) held sensitive portfolios, including home and the CM’s principal secretary. However, he used to do his official work from the office of a power broker, which exposes all sensitive and crucial files of the home department and the CM’s office outside the government set-up.
It is a gross violation of the Official Secrets Act. There is no denying the fact that it involves corruption. His act also raises question marks against the CM as the departments are directly under him. The episode is a clear example of how these corrupt people used to work under the orders of the power brokers.
Hence, it is requested to direct the government to lodge an FIR against Ekka under sections 7-13 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, Section 3 of the Official Secrets Act, and Rule 14 of the Central Civil Service and order a CBI probe,” it read.
Later, the office of the governor tweeted acknowledging the receipt of the memorandum. After coming out of the Raj Bhavan, Marandi criticised the government for patronising such “tainted officers”. He said, “We have clear a stand — FIR against the officer and a probe by CBI — because the incident has even put a question mark on the CM’s integrity. Transfer of the officer is not a punishment.”
Incidentally, both the government and the ruling coalition parties, JMM, Congress and RJD, have maintained a stoic silence on the entire incident so far. Ekka, who is yet to join his new posting, remains unreachable.