Flashback 2015: Year saw CBI at the centre of political criticism

New Delhi, Dec 27: Searches in the premises of ruling BJP's political rivals in states and going cold on some controversial cases kept CBI at the centre of political criticism this year while repatriation of Chhota Rajan came as a feather in its cap.

Handing over of the sensational Sheena Bora murder case highlighted the Maharashtra government's confidence in CBI.

The agency faced heat from Congress for carrying out searches at the residence of Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh on the day of his daughter's marriage, though CBI claimed it was not an elaborate marriage function and hardly any publicity was given to the event.

Terming the action as "highly vindictive", senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad said it was part of "Prime Minister Narendra Modi's hate agenda and political vendetta against Congress party and its leaders which has reached its zenith today with CBI raids at the residence of India's senior most Chief Minister".

Similarly, search operation at the Delhi Secretariat, on the floor which has the office of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, gave ammunition to Aam Aadmi Party which used the opportunity to target the central government.

Even as CBI claimed that the searches were limited to the office of Chief Minister's Secretary Rajendra Kumar in an alleged corruption case and Chief Minister's Office was "neither searched nor sealed", Kejriwal persisted with the allegations that "My own office files are being looked into to get some evidence against me.

Rajendra is an excuse". Besides Rajendra Kumar, CBI also registered a case against another Delhi Government Principal Secretary S P Singh for allegedly taking bribe from manpower contractors.

CBI claimed to have recovered substantial wealth, 300 liquor bottles, gold, expensive watches from his possession. The agency also registered an FIR against former Union Textile Minister Shankarsinh Vaghela and six others including the then Chairman-cum-Managing Director of National Textile Corporation for sale of prime property in Mumbai allegedly at "throwaway prices" to a private company.

PTI