CVC orders fresh inquiry against ex-home secy

An inquiry is underway against former Union Home Secretary Anil Goswami, who took voluntary retirement after being accused of influencing the Central Bureau of Investigation not to arrest Saradha scam accused Matang Sinh, by a high-level group and the Central Vigilance Commission to look into his role.

Goswami had in February this year resigned from the post of home secretary after government asked him to put in his papers in the wake of controversy over his alleged attempt to stall the arrest of Matang Sinh, a former Union minister.

The CVC had received a complaint accusing Goswami of influencing decisions linked to Sinh and an enquiry in the case is going on, official sources said.

Goswami could not be contacted despite repeated attempts. A sms sent to Goswami also did not elicit any response. As per rules, no disciplinary action can be taken against retired bureaucrats.

Also, all complaints against a secretary-level officers are decided by a group headed by Cabinet Secretary and comprising principal secretary to the prime minister, secretary (coordination ) in the cabinet secretariat, secretary (personnel) and the CVC secretary.

Complaints against secretaries to the Government of India, whether pseudonymous or otherwise, received by the cabinet secretariat, the CVC, the department of personnel and training or the Prime Minister's Office, are first scrutinised by the group.

The role of few serving senior Indian Police Service officers in the Delhi police and the Central Industrial Security Force will also be looked into during the enquiry for allegedly influencing Sinh's arrest, they said.

A report has been sought from the Home and Personnel ministries, and the CBI in the matter, the sources said. The exit of Goswami, a United Progressive Alliance government appointee, had come following media reports that he had tried to prevent CBI officers from carrying out Sinh's arrest early this year.

Goswami, a 1978-batch IAS officer of Jammu and Kashmir cadre, was appointed as home secretary in 2013 for a fixed two year term. He is said to have been close to Matang Sinh, a controversial politician from Assam who was a minister of state in P V Narasimha Rao's government.