CIC asks CBI to finalise investigation in embezzlement case

The Central Information Commission has sought a report from CBI on the time it would take in investigating a six-year-old embezzlement case in which Rs 2.5 crore was granted for a film on Bal Gangadhar Tilak which was never made.

The grant was given to producer Vinay Dhumale by culture ministry as part of celebration of 50th anniversary of Indian Republic in 2001. The case of embezzlement had come to light after a Right to Information (RTI) application had been filed by V R Kamalapurkar. Hearing an appeal from the applicant, information commissioner M Sridhar Acharyulu directed CBI to give a report on how long it would take to wrap up the investigation. While hearing the case, the commission had found that the files pertaining to the case had gone missing from culture ministry.

Acharyulu said, “The Commission directs the culture ministry to initiate inquiry into missing files, and provide report and information about action taken in this regard to the Commission, within 60 days from the date of receipt of this order.” The Commission also asked the ministry to furnish information sought by the RTI applicant pertaining to the budget allocation for the centenary celebrations and the list of programmes conducted under the celebrations within 30 days of the receipt of the order.

The Commission found during successive hearings that files had gone missing an “except for some oral statements by the CPIO and Deputy Secretary, there is no record present of who held the files”.

The ministry officials told the Commission that Rs 2.5 crore was given to Dhumale, a producer, in two instalments to make the film but it was never made.

Nirmala Goyal, a Deputy Secretary, said the ministry was able to find out about this embezzlement only after the RTI application was filed by Kamalapurkar in 2011.