CB BureauUntil a few weeks, or even months, ago, I had dismissed this
as random suspicion of a vexed, sunshine-starving mind. Today”in
fact, a few minutes ago”the realization, so to speak, dawned that there is a pattern
to it.
To these missing trails, I mean.
Is there any other way to interpret the randomness with
which headline-grabbing controversies/revelations are left out in the cold
after a few days”or, at best, relegated to the ignominy of the inside pages,
where only a sadistic/weary/waiting-to-get-a-life soul would venture? Frankly,
how persuasive can a case be if it is not really visible (visible)?
My suspicious nature even persuades me into thinking that
there could be insidious intent to banish critical stories from the collective
nation’s psyche. Why so? What in the name of all things heavenly happens behind the
scenes?
Whatever, for example, happened to those three ill-fated
siblings from Prasad Nagar, Delhi – victims of a gory interplay of drugs, sexual
abuse and voyeurism conducted by their school-cab driver and four teenaged boys
over a period of 18 months – and their even-more-ill-fated mother? Last heard
(yup, on the 5th/6th page), one of the siblings had been allegedly kidnapped
and then traced back”fortuitously so”three days later.
Prior to that, there was scattered talk about how the
ill-fated family was being harassed at the hands of the local police, who were
accused of trying to shield the accused, as sons of affluent families were
involved. The local police were accused of trying to victimize the children by
way of raising questions in a ‘horrible manner’ instead of being completely
sympathetic and giving them a helping hand. Subsequently, SHO Arvind Kumar and
investigating officer ASI Balbir Singh were suspended for their handling of the
case and for allegedly attempting to pressurize the victims’ 32-year-old mother
to take back her complaint.
Thereafter, the probe was handed over to the crime branch of
Delhi Police who filed a chargesheet in December – more than three months after
the case was first reported. In its chargesheet, the police said they had not
been able to trace two of the four teenagers allegedly involved in the act,
neither had they recorded the statement of the neighbour who convinced the
children’s mother to take the matter to the police.
The medical reports of the children revealed that ‘their
veins were clogged with residual vestiges of intravenous heroin abuse’ which,
coupled with the psychological trauma of their prolonged ordeal, would ensure
that they will ‘never be the same again’, police said.
The follow-up and outrage that belonged to a story like this
never happened. A few of us reeled in anger of no consequence, but we too
forgot soon enough.
Mutations. Permutations.
This cycle keeps repeating in one form or another. Look back
to Adarsh. Karnataka CM Yeddyurappa’s alleged land-grab exploits. Commonwealth
Games. 2G. Binayak Sen. Madhu Koda. Satyam.
So, the Adarsh scandal cost Maharashtra CM Ashok Chavan his
job. Now, how about the rest of the story? Will it be that the barrier of top
army officials, bureaucrats and politicians – to whom flats were allotted in
the 31-storey building – prove insurmountable? Will it be that we forget that
the Adarsh housing project was, in the first place, cleared as a six-storey
structure for Kargil war heroes and widows?
Or, did the powers that be think that the curious public
would be appeased by the sacking of the CM? That that would be it? No
more questions. The collective memory is short. The collective anger, fickle.
Another scandal will sooner come our way”and keep us occupied and heighten our
sense of involvement in national decision-making.
We have not heard the last words in the case of land-grab
allegations against the Karnataka CM as well. Terming these allegations
politically motivated (but of course), CM BS Yeddyurappa – accused of favouring
his kin with allotment of prime land – wrote to the state governor that he had
not indulged in any irregularities in the denotification of land. In another
instance, Yeddyurappa claimed to have collected documents on various scandals
during the Congress and Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) governments. Offence is the
best form of defence, as they say.
Amid all these flying accusations, the original accusation
itself loses its sheen and sharpness”so much so that we at the other side of
the fence lose interest and feel it best to leave matters to their fate. Last
heard, in the case of the just-mentioned controversy, there were threats by the
opposition parties to disrupt legislature session.
Matters of fate and faith may remind one of the case of
former chief minister of Jharkhand, Madhu Koda – accused of duping the state
exchequer of thousands of crore during his tenure between 2006 and 2008. Koda
is accused of illegally selling mining rights and siphoning the cash overseas.
He and some of his cabinet colleagues are accused of taking bribes to award
lucrative contracts to build roads, bridges and power lines that were never
constructed.
Last heard, in August 2010, the Central Bureau of
Investigation (CBI) had taken over the probe from the Jharkhand vigilance
department.
Last heard, a host of agencies including the Comptroller and
Auditor General (CAG), the income tax department, the Enforcement Directorate
(ED) and the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) are investigating the
approximately Rs 70,000-crore expenditures incurred for the 2010 Commonwealth
Games (CWG). In November 2010, CAG Vinod Rai had said that his department was
conducting a broad-based audit probe into expenditures related to the CWG and
would complete the enquiry by January-end. The organising committee (OC) of the
Games faces allegations of sweeping corruption, including favouritism in award
of various contracts, expensive hire of training equipment and inflation in
costs of building contracts.
Last heard, Union Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal labelled the
CAG’s report on the 2G-spectrum scam as ‘utterly erroneous’. The government
auditor’s report claimed that the sale of second-generation mobile-phone
frequencies in 2008 had deprived taxpayers of up to Rs.1.76 lakh crore ($40
billion) in lost revenue. The spectrum scam revolves around the allegation that
some companies received favour over others and that frequencies were given away
at huge discounts to their true value. While there is no consensus on the basis
of estimating the lost revenue, the CAG’s findings regarding procedural
irregularities in the implementation of the first-come-first-served policy
merit a serious and in-depth”and, if required, separate”line of investigation.
Post the Sibal statement, a spokesman for the ruling
Congress Party told the media: ‘The procedural lapses will be dealt with.’ For
that to happen, though, there has to be, first and foremost, acknowledgement of
the lapses. The Hindu newspaper quoted party sources saying thus, ‘There
is no question of the party not agreeing with what Mr Sibal said – he has all
the facts, and is, therefore, speaking with full accountability. Mr Sibal must
have sought the consent of the Prime Minister, and, so, there is no question of
the party disassociating itself with his statement.’
The opposition has been firm on its demand for an
investigation by a joint parliamentary committee (JPC), but the government has
so far refused to accede to the demand, contending that it is being
investigated by the public accounts committee (PAC).
Last heard, the UK-based Hiten Group was producing a film
based on the life and achievements of corporate lobbyist Niira Radia. Appropriately
enough, the film is titled 2G-Radia-tion and will trace Radia’s
entrepreneurial journey right until she came into national limelight for her
alleged role in the 2G saga.
Frankly, at the end of any normal,
ordinary day, any common man would be puzzled by the maze of cues, clues,
links, allegations, anti-allegations, alibis, hints, half-revelations et al. It
all becomes too confusing. Before one has properly grasped the complications
and implications of one controversy, another one comes along breezily”almost
like a breath of fresh air.