CBI examining documents sent by Verma's associate

NEW DELHI: The CBI is examining fresh set of classified documents sent by arms dealer Abhishek Verma's estranged business associate C Edmonds Allen in which name of a Home Ministry official surfaced.

Union Home Secretary R K Singh had a meeting with CBI Director Ranjit Sinha today during which the chief of probe agency was asked about the opinion on the documents purported to be of the US-based attorney, official sources said.

They said Sinha told the Home Secretary that agency has already had registered cases against Verma including one relating to Official Secrets Act, which was referred by the Defence Ministry.

The CBI chief said the agency will review the fresh charges made in the documents after their authenticity is verified by the Defence Ministry, they said.

The documents sent by Allen include some photographs of Verma's wife Ancea with a Home Ministry official holding a sensitive position in his office, they said.

The sources said prima facie no case was made out against the Ministry official but it wants to be sure to avoid any future controversies.

Last year, CBI had booked Verma and his Romanian wife Ancea Neascu for allegedly taking 5.30 lakh US dollars from Swiss firm Rheinmetall Air Defence AG for using his "influence" to stall the blacklisting proceedings initiated by the government against it after the Ordnance Factory Board scam had surfaced.

The agency has also slapped cases related to forgery and violation of OSA against him.

Allen and Verma are engaged in a number of litigations against each other in various courts of India and the US, they said.