CENTRAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION: SOME RECENT SETBACKS

October 27, 2016: A Special Court of the CBI acquitted former Karnataka chief minister B S Yeddyurappa of all corruption charges. The CBI had charged that the payments were made to Yeddyurappa’s family as quid pro quo for mining-related favours granted to JSW Steel by the then state government, including waiver of dues, supply of iron ore at concessional rates and for imposing a ban on exports of iron ore.

December 27, 2016: In its order in the case of corruption in the purchase of Agusta Westland helicopters against former Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal S P Tyagi, the court of special CBI judge Arvind Kumar allowed bail to Tyagi and others and said the CBI had “failed to state how much cash was paid to accused and when it was paid” despite conducting an investigation for “three years and nine months”. The CBI had alleged that Tyagi received money and used his influence to change the service ceiling for the helicopters.

February 2, 2017: A Special Court presided over by O P Saini in the Patiala High Court acquitted former Telecom Minister Dayanidhi Maran and his brother Kalanithi Maran and others in the Aircel-Maxis deal cases filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had alleged a scam of over ~700 crore. A special 2G court had on September 17, 2016, dismissed the applications filed by the ex-telecom minister and his brother, challenging its jurisdiction to try the Aircel-Maxis deal case in which they were summoned as accused. The ED had alleged that the South Asia FM Limited and Sun Direct TV Private Ltd had received ~742.58 crore as “proceeds of crime” from Mauritius-based firms and were controlled by Kalanithi Maran.