Arrest of CLB chief may raise questions on Satyam scam probe

NEW DELHI: In a development that may question the credibility of the Satyam probe, the Central Bureau of Investigation on Tuesday arrested acting chairman of the Company Law Board R Vasudevan, who is overseeing the enquiry into the country’s biggest corporate scam, in a corruption case.

Vasudevan was caught red-handed while taking bribe from Manoj Banthia, a company secretary, at his official residence in Hudco Place late on Monday night. The CBI said that this was an unusual case in which both the bribe giver and bribe taker have been arrested.

“This is a double trap case and is based on a source information obtained by the investigating agency,” the CBI spokesperson said. Apart from Vasudevan and Banthia, CBI also registered a case against a Delhi-based advocate Ankur Chawla. The CBI spokesperson said Chawla worked as a conduit.

The CBI alleged that Rs 10 lakh travelled from Chawla to Banthia who kept Rs 3 lakh and handed over the remaining Rs 7 lakh to Vasudevan to influence a decision related to media house.



The entire bribe amount of Rs 10 lakh has been recovered. “In this case, Rs 55 lakh was recovered from the Delhi residence of Vasudevan. Of this, Rs 7 lakh is related to the current bribery case.

Rs 3 lakh was recovered from a hotel room that belongs to the company secretary,” the CBI spokesperson said.

The CBI also conducted raids in seven locations on Tuesday including the Defence Colony residence and office of Chawla. Raids were also conducted at Vasudevan’s Chennai and New Delhi residences and his New Delhi office. The CBI also conducted raids in Banthia’s Kolkata residence and the hotel room, where Rs 3 lakh was recovered.

“Incriminating documents recovered during the searches from the premises of the accused persons are being scrutinised,” the spokesperson added.

After getting source information, CBI started monitoring the activities of Vasudevan. The agency got a tip-off that the money would be changing hands in order to influence a ruling in the media house’s case.

Earlier to his appointment as a member in CLB, 58-year-old Vasudevan served as director, investigation in the company affairs ministry’s headquarters in Delhi.

The CBI has registered a case against Vasudevan, Banthia and Chawla for criminal conspiracy (120-B) under the IPC and under sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act.