Union Home Secretary Anil Goswami sacked for interfering in Saradha probe
5 Feb 2015 7:50 AM GMT (Update:2019-03-29 21:15:57)
Goswami allegedly attempted to stall the arrest of Saradha scam accused Matang Sinh
New Delhi: Union home secretary Anil Goswami was on Wednesday sacked from the post in the wake of the controversy over his alleged attempt to stall the arrest of Saradha scam accused Matang Sinh, a former Union minister.
Mr Goswami is learnt to have admitted to making the calls to the CBI in the multi-crore-rupee Saradha scam, which is under investigation, following which home minister Rajnath Singh told him on Tuesday night that his continuation at th-e top job is “untenable.”
The Prime Minister’s Office on Wednesday stepped in and gave the marching orders to the top most bureaucrat in the home ministry. L.C. Goyal, a 1979-batch IAS officer of the Kerala cadre, is tipped to be the next home secretary. Mr Goyal has been sounded out by the government.
Meanwhile, the Union government has appointed L.C. Goyal, a 1979-batch IAS officer of the Kerala cadre as the Union home secretary in place of Anil Goswami.
Mr Goyal had earlier served in the home ministry as joint secretary (internal security) a few years ago. Mr Goswami’s removal caused ripples in the ministry, which saw hectic meetings through the day before the final report was sent to the PMO on the matter.
On Wednesday morning, the home minister first gave audience to the home secretary for an hour where Mr Goswami is learnt to have explained the circumstances under which he made the calls but Mr Singh was unconvinced, sources said. Mr Singh then met CBI director Anil Sinha to hear the agency’s version.
Sources said that action against a senior CBI official of the rank of joint director is also on the cards for trying to influence the SIT officials probing the Saradha scam. Mr Goswami, an UPA government appointee, turned 60-years of age last month and his tenure was till June 30.
His removal comes a week after the NDA government curtailed foreign secretary Sujatha Singh’s services last Wednesday after she refused to resign from the post.
On Tuesday night, the home minister briefed Prime Minister Narendra Modi about the allegations against Mr Goswami where it was decided that his removal was imminent. Before briefing Modi, the home minister had received a call from Mr Goswami who was in Jammu, sources said, adding that the home secretary admitted to have made the calls to the CBI probing the Saradha scam in connection with Mr Sinh’s arrest.
The agency had already submitted a report to the PMO on the issue on Tuesday about the involvement of Mr Goswami and a joint director-level officer of the CBI. On Wednesday, both Mr Goswami and the CBI director maintained sile-nce on their separate meetings with the home minister. Later, the CBI director met Mr Goswami in his office.
( Source : dc )
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