MOD, MHA, PMO and CBI go slow tactics on Scorpene Deal Scamsters

CBI awakes from Naval war-room slumber
Vinay Kumar, Sujay Mehdudia
NEW DELHI, May 31, 2012
Five months after allegations surfaced that businessman Abhishek Verma may have stashed away millions of dollars linked to a 2006 defence scandal in overseas banks, the Central Bureau of Investigation has finally moved to seek details on the case from a key witness in the United States.
Highly-placed sources told The Hindu that the CBI has assigned a Deputy Inspector-General of Police to get details on the transactions from New York resident C. Edmond Allen, who was once Mr. Verma's lawyer and business associate, about funds escrow account of a firm in New York.
In letters written to the CBI and Enforcement Directorate (ED) chiefs early this year, Mr. Allen alleged that Mr. Verma had parked $410 million in overseas banks. Mr. Allen, who handled Mr. Verma's funds from April 2000 to February 2004, refused to return the funds, citing the U.S. anti-corruption laws — sparking off litigation between them in New York.
The CBI did not respond to questions from The Hindu seeking an explanation for the prolonged delay in seeking this information. There is also no word on whether Mr. Verma has yet been questioned on the allegations.
In voluminous documents sent to the CBI and ED chiefs in January-February 2012, Mr. Allen, also a real estate consultant based in New York, alleged that Mr. Verma was involved in money laundering, illegal dealings with defence manufacturers, forgery and tax evasion. He also levelled charges against Mr. Verma that referred to bids to manipulate trade policy to benefit certain foreign defence firms. Mr. Allen claimed he had drawn Defence Minister A.K. Antony's attention to Mr. Verma's activities, which he alleges had national-security implications.
The CBI had, more than five years ago, charged Mr. Verma with receiving over Rs. 6 crore to bribe officials for details of upcoming defence deals. Its present probe is intended to see whether the contested funds in New York could be linked to his alleged work on behalf of international arms firms.
According to the documents, Mr. Allen formed Ganton Limited in the U.S. in 2005 to invest in India in the real estate and defence sectors. Ganton Limited later opened Ganton India, which employed Mr. Verma's Romanian friend Anca Neascu and Gili Golan, a friend with an Israeli passport.
The two men fell out in 2011, and Mr. Verma sent a letter to Mr. Allen asking him to return $ 410 million earlier deposited with him as per agreements of April 2000 and February 2004. A complaint filed by attorney Lynn Judell on behalf of Mr. Verma in the South District Court of New York, said Mr. Allen refused to return the money.
CBI awakes from Naval war-room slumber
Contrast this with speedy trial of Insider Trading Scamsters in NY
Rajat Gupta defense takes aim at trader's credibility
Scorpene deal scam
Born into an influential family, Mr. Verma's parents were Congress parliamentarians. His father Srikant Verma was a well known Hindi writer and journalist who later became Congress MP and spokesperson. His mother Veena Verma was also a Congress MP. Mr. Verma himself founded a business with interests in the aviation and defence sectors, and was listed by a prominent magazine as one of India's youngest billionaires. Abhishek Verma had spent more than a year in Delhi's maximum security Central Tihar jail, but photographs circulated by Mr. Allen show that he managed to get mobile phones and other luxury items inside jail for his use. Sources close to Mr. Verma dismissed such charges as being “false,” but did not offer an explanation for how he had obtained a mobile phone in prison.
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Tailpiece
The Scorpene deal scam is one of India's largest bribery corruption scandals, in which Rs. 500 crore (about USD 10 mn) is alleged to have been paid to government decision makers by Thales, the makers of the Scorpene submarine. The amount was channeled via middlemen such as Abhishek Verma. Also involved was Ravi Shankaran, a relative of the then chief of navy staff Arun Prakash. He is the prime accused in the Navy War Room spy scandal. The investigation moved very slowly. In 2007, Prashant Bhushan of the Centre for Public Interest Litigation filed a petition with the Delhi High Court to investigate whether there had been kickbacks in the Scorpene submarine deal. The High Court took a strong line with the investigating agency, saying "We feel dissatisfied with that you've done so far. If you've tried to shield someone, then we will come down very heavily on you". In October 2005, defence minister Pranab Mukherjee approved the Rs 19,000 crore submarine deal with French company Thales. Scorpene submarines are now being built in India under a technology transfer agreement that was part of that contract.
Question: Who are the beneficiaries of Money Laundering and Bribes? Still in the dark not investigated!

Voice of the Indian Army: Gen VK Singh is a true Hero

Wednesday, May 30, 2012
An enemy­ that is our own..­. A Meaningful letter from Sub Maj & Hony Lt Kameshwar Pandey

Dear and Respected Sirs and Colleagues,
To concur and side with newspapers, magazines and television channels, whose own credibility is dubious and questionable, is rather unfortunate. A large part of the mainstream media is known to have shady allegiance or some sort of backstage arrangement with political parties and vested interest groups. And concordantly, more often than not, it seems, the so called experts and panelists who are called for interviews and opinions are nothing but pawns of either the government or someone powerful.
What is even more unfortunate is the fact that some of our own senior veterans have defaulted and turned over to the dark side. Knowing all along that their actions are against the very oath that they took when they first donned the uniform - to protect and serve the nation and its people.
I am not sure what honour and prestige of the institution you are talking about. What institution and what prestige? The masses of this country neither trust their government nor any other government agency. Judges, prime ministers, ministers, the CBI, the police and the list is endless. And so is the list of their infamous track records.
In these deteriorating times, Gen VK Singh is a true hero. He has shown all of us the true colours of the present government including its administrative officers, ministers, judges and even the prime minister. He has displayed the confidence and the courage to show the true state of affairs of this weakening administration, its corrupt departments and its failing systems. And that deserves respect and admiration from the military community as well as from the citizens of this great nation.
If these so called leaders, whom we are supposed to follow, are so apathetic to our emotions then its indeed unfortunate for the country. In these changing times, we will have to adjust the sails according to the winds. None of our actions or policies should reflect that we are siding with this corrupt administration. In the name of honour, dignity and code of conduct, if we are indirectly helping those who are destroying the country, we are killing our own reputation as the military being last bastion and the protectors of the sovereignty of the country.
It is a well known fact amongst military ranks that the privileges of the military have been continuously going down ever since we gained independence. And the current state of affairs is so pathetic that JCOs and ORs are meted out a treatment no more than that of labourers. The recruits that join the military now are well educated and can think for themselves. They can understand the difference between serving the country and serving corrupt politicians who do not respect their generals, let alone respect them.
What respect will the future Army Chief command if he is already amidst controversies even before taking office? Is he the only option the Army has? Is there no potential Army Chief with a clean service record and no previous controversies? Or is the government selecting a chief who will be party to their schemes and plans for god knows what evil purposes! If the service chiefs do not fight for the dignity, respect and welfare of the men and women serving the military, a time may come when they will have no control on such a large force and that can be truly dangerous. And some gentlemen who think Gen VK Singh is guilty of letting the army down are sadly mistaken. What is most important for all of us right now is our unity and awareness. Awareness is an absolute requirement for true freedom. The great martyrs like Shaheed Bhagat Singh, Chandrashekhar and Subhash are screaming right in our faces urging us to join this second battle for freedom and justice. To not weaken this movement with undue and unwarranted negative remarks.
What Gen VK Singh started - a fight against the cancer that is eating the Army from the inside - was supposed to be followed through by the next chief but that does not seem likely. Gen VK Singh had the courage to point out what is right and what isn't and that did not go down well with the government. With him gone, we have little hope unless the military community gears up to cast out the bad fish which are rotting the whole pond.
Gen VK Singh Sir ! HATS OFF TO YOU.
This time the enemy is our own and that is why the battle is twice as hard.

How to Launder Money? Rishi- Tatra- IAS Couple Route

How to launder money by Philip Brewer Money laundering is not a simple concept. It's two simple concepts, because there are two different — in fact, nearly completely opposite — activities that are called money laundering. Here's how to do both of them. Classic Money Laundering The classic money launderer was someone who had illicit income — drug dealer, jewel thief, con man — and worried that he'd get the Al Capone treatment and be convicted of tax evasion even if the government couldn't pin any of the underlying criminal activity on him. If the illicit income is small — and especially if you also have a straight job that you do pay taxes on, there's no need to do any money laundering.
For example, suppose you work in some cube farm that pays most of what you need to live on, but you also turn the occasional trick to bring in a hundred dollars a week. You probably don't need to launder that money. Cut down on the amount of cash you take from your paycheck and use the money from hooking to make up the difference. As long as you still take some cash from your paycheck, the government would have a hard time proving that your cash expenses exceed what you're taking from legitimate sources. But suppose that illicit income is a bit larger.
Once you've got more than a few hundred dollars a week — more than can be conveniently hidden in your ordinary cash expenses — you've got a problem. As soon as you do anything with the money — spend or invest it — it might well come to the attention of the tax man. The solution — classic money laundering — is to create a business to ostensibly earn that money. Any business that brings in a good deal of cash will do. You run the business as usual during the day. Then, after closing, you feed in your day's illicit receipts, pretending that they'd been received by the business. In due course the business pays its taxes and all the tax man can see is that you're running an unusually profitable business. Now, the tax man may well take an interest in such a profitable business, so it's best if it'd be hard to prove that you couldn't be doing the business you're paying taxes on.
A bar, for example, wouldn't be the best choice, because you wouldn't have ordered enough booze to pour all the drinks your books will say you've sold. Coin operated laundries and car washes are classics, because the only way to prove that you hadn't actually done all that business would be to have an undercover agent surveil your place for weeks, counting every coin inserted by every customer. (Although agents have been known to subpoena the water bill and try to make the case that way.) Modern Money Laundering The other thing sometimes called money laundering is when you have some big lump of cash that you'd rather not have people find out about. Sometimes it's an effort to keep the money from the tax man (literally the opposite of classic money laundering), other times the goal is to keep it from coming to the attention of someone else who might feel like they have some claim to the money — an ex-spouse, a creditor, the guy who owns the land where you found the bag of gold coins in the culvert. In this kind of money laundering, the point is to make the money disappear. This is the sort of money laundering where you might make use of foreign banks, shell companies, and so on.
There are two parts to these strategies. First, you need to make the money disappear. Second, you need to make it reappear in some gradual fashion that doesn't bring it to the attention of whoever you're trying to hide it from. Disappearing the money The easiest way to disappear the money, especially if it's already cash (as opposed to, let's say, silver bullion or a winning lottery ticket) is to just stash it in a safety deposit box. You miss out on any investment income, but it's safe and you know where to find it. If you really want to be able to invest the money, get it overseas. If it's an amount that you can just carry with you, buy a vacation package to the Cayman Islands or visit your family roots in Europe and take a little side trip to Switzerland or Austria or Liechtenstein. There are plenty of fancy, complex ways to get the money overseas, that mostly require an accomplice. The most basic is an invoice scam. Establish a business that imports or exports something. Meet with your customer or supplier and arrange with him to either over-pay or under-bill, and then to have your counterpart deposit (most of) the excess into your foreign bank account. An ongoing scheme is good, because the guy knows that the lucrative cash flow will stop if you find out the money isn't getting deposited as it should, but you can also work this as a one-shot deal if your counterpart can be trusted. Banks used to help their good customers get money discretely overseas, but nowadays there are a bunch of laws against such things, and bankers are particularly averse to going to jail for their customers. Expect them to refused to get involved and to rat you out.
How to Launder Money
How Ravi Rishi operates?
Page 1 Laundering cycle of Ravi Rishi
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IAS Couple linked to Ravi Rishi in Tatra Scam

'Tainted' IAS couple linked to Ravi Rishi in Tatra scam?
The writer has posted comments on this articleTNN | Apr 22, 2012, 01.53AM IST
NEW DELHI: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the Tatra scam is examining a connection between Madhya Pradesh IAS couple Arvind Joshi and Tinoo Joshi, who are facing graft charges, and London-based businessman Ravi Rishi. The CBI is looking at Rishi's Vectra Group acquiring maximum shares in Greater Noida's Indian Exposition Mart Limited (IEML) at the time when Tinoo Joshi was posted as Development Commissioner Handicrafts in the ministry of textiles. Sources said the agency is scrutinizing the bank accounts of the IAS couple, who were suspended by the MP government after the Income Tax department recovered more than Rs 3 crore cash during a raid at their house in February, 2010. CBI is examining transaction details of 70 bank accounts of the suspended IAS couple and an official said "All entries in their accounts and related transaction details are being looked at. We may question the IAS couple in this regard". "
Acquisition of majority shares in IEML by the Vectra Group is under the scanner. There are allegations that role of Joshi was crucial role in this acquisition," said the source. The agency recently conducted raids at IEML in Greater Noida and have recovered certain documents in this regard. The agency is investigating Rishi, a majority stakeholder in Tatra Sipox (UK), for alleged irregularities in the purchase of more than 6,000 Tatra trucks after Army chief Gen V K Singh claimed that he was offered a Rs 14 crore bribe on behalf of the businessman.
The CBI is also taking assistance of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Income Tax department in this regard. The CBI may also soon question Rishi again after having already sought assistance of the Interpol to get details about certain companies - allegedly associated with the NRI businessman - that are based in Slovakia, Czech Republic, the UK and Liechtenstein. 'Tainted' IAS couple linked to Ravi Rishi in Tatra scam?
Convoluted Money Laundering Cycle of Ravi Rishi- Tatra Vectra BEML and IAS Couple Spectre
Page 1 Laundering cycle of Ravi Rishi
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Comment: John Doe
This is how “Lobby-Nexus” to promote "Proprietary Raj of Ravi Rishi" (more sophisticated word would be Single Vendor System) in various purchases for ARMY via BEML, was formed over a period of time...

Indian Airforce bereft of basic trainers

Pressure mounts for air force basic trainer aircraft
rustom said...
What a bunch of Jokers we Indians are. We kill and maim young people who want to defend our country by not giving them trainers and trainers. Then we use fighters to train, it doesnt work gets more pilots killed, and also malign an aircraft. This is going over 15 years now!!! 15 years of sheer murder. Then we Indians have indegenisation programes which actually is laughable, cause indegenisation has proved to be buying foreign stuff by indegenisation offices.. BEML,DRDO,HAL.. NAL..stop procurements directly cause the same indegenisation offices claim they will make the product..again over 15 years and thus leaving the armed forces to be a killing machine..of its own....INSAS is a toy now..but on blogs is a fantastic weapon!!!!!!just as the LCA is comparable to the worlds finest planes....or the LCH rotors RPM going hay wire.

Dinesh said...
So much for our great NAL, HAL, DRDO jokers. They can't even make a propeller driven plane. A technology from almost 100 years ago. Saint Antony gets pressure only when his mama St. Sonia from Vatican tolls the bell.
15 April 2012 14:15
Pressure mounts for air force basic trainer aircraft
Comment: We need to look East and buy from Koreans, Japanese and Chinese. Indians loathe Swiss, Italians, French and Israel Munitions they do business only through bribes and secret bank accounts... taking bribes is a National weakness.

2G Scam: Presidential Reference for clarity on scams?

Click Link: 2G case: Government files presidential reference in Supreme Court
Reported by Sunil Prabhu | Updated: April 12, 2012 16:59 IST
Comments

Chellappa Narayanan
Govt is to be blamed for not following transparent policy by inviting open bids/ tenders in selling scarce national resources. Now the Govt is referring through President to Supreme Court seeking clarifications. Supreme Court has given a landmark judgement in 2G scam which has instilled more confidence to public about judiciary. Political class must realise that they are to serve the people and not themselves. Will the Govt now realise and take corrective action?

Amit Srivastava 2 hours ago
Money talks , look at the high speed with which the government machinery is moving to bring relief to big players, faster then 4G :)

Shilpa Manocha 4 hours ago
What govt is doing is correct but why does such a process take such less time to complete than any other bill or case. This gives rise to other questions as to whether the pressure is being built up by the politicians who had were involved in this scam or not.

India's war on terrorism lacks teeth and direction

By Manoj Joshi, Mail Today, 10/09/2011
India's war on terrorism lacks teeth and direction
In the ten years since Nine Eleven, the war against terrorism has changed the United States a great deal. In comparison, 26/11 has only had a superficial effect in India.

New Delhi: India has been unable to get its counter-terrorism strategy going from ground up. Terrorist incidents take place often, because the local police simply lacks any concept of modern policing. This is evident in Delhi every time there is a security alert.

To show the people that they are doing something, the police put half-barriers across the road to slow the traffic. It is a moot point as to whether they have ever detected a suspect person or vehicle this way.

All it does is to slow the traffic and provide an illusion for policing. What the police ought to be doing active patrolling and effectively meshing their intelligence networks to their daily operations.

The next link in the chain the shoddy manner in which the investigations are usually carried out. The handling the 2002-2006 bomb blast cases by the Mumbai police a story of botched investigations, custodial killings and frame-ups. Many of those arrested withdrew their confessional statements at trial stage and some of cases collapsed because their own weight of police manufactured falsehood. The story is no different elsewhere.

The next level of the problem relates to the slow movement the criminal justice system that often keeps people incarcerated for years on end and then releases them for the want evidence. There are other cases in which people have spent more time in jail than they would have if they had been convicted, their trials have not even begun.

In the ten years since Nine Eleven, the war against terrorism has changed the United States a great deal. In comparison, 26/11 has only had a superficial effect in India. The most obvious one to the citizens the intense screening of air passengers where the US invested some $ 50 billion equipment and training of personnel.
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Common man loses Confidence and Screams for an effective Lokpal

18/08/2011
India Inc uneasy at Hazare standoff
At the end of this month, HDFC chairman Deepak Parekh and his friends from India Inc — who had earlier collectively written an open letter to the Prime Minister and his political establishment — plan to meet once again and take their own crusade against corruption and governance deficit forward.
CHAMBERS WANT MOVES
Industry chambers have spoken, calling for a balanced reaction from the government. They echo a popular sentiment that while Parliament has the right to make laws, individuals enjoy the freedom of speech and assembly.
"We strongly support any process or mechanism that will lead to good governance and weed out corruption from all walks of life," said Dilip Modi, president of the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham).
"Industry believes it has a strong role to play in fighting corruption and, therefore, we have already developed the first version of a Code of Business Ethics," said a spokesperson of the Confederation of Indian Industry.
Marico chairman Harsh Mariwala, also chairman of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry, is more realistic than many of his peers. "Anna Hazare is a symbol. The fight is a bigger one on corruption. When you lose faith in the entire system, it becomes difficult for the common man to have confidence in the political establishment. But a Lok Pal Bill alone cannot solve all the problems. There has to be a much bigger overhaul of all discretionary powers," he said.
Cyber citizens from India Inc have been active for the past few days. Some have been pragmatic, some circumspect yet cautious, while some are outspoken as ever. "Let's not be bogged down with scams by a few. Let's hold our heads high and focus on the numerous reasons we have to be proud, independent Indians," tweeted the king of good times and Rajya Sabha MP, Vijay Mallya.
MORE VOICES
M&M's Anand Mahindra, a corporate leader behind many social campaigns, -- seems to suggest the writing is on the wall for all to see. "Democracy means no voice, however small, must go unheard. The anti-corruption sentiment is not a whisper -- it's a scream. Grave error to ignore it," he warned.
Kiran Mazumdar-ShawBiotech's Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw is appalled at what has been happening for the past 48 hours. She tweeted several times in seeming despair. "The government is committing political harakiri -- as they say, if you are in a hole, stop digging!...." and then added, "The UPA Government has lost the plot -- they have incited the entire country by putting Anna behind bars .... The country-wide agitation against Anna's imprisonment can bring the Government down -- they don't seem to understand how incandescent the issue."
However, the stoic silence of most others may seem odd as they were vocal in their reactions before, when Hazare first led his protest outside Jantar Mantar in April. "We are sick of corruption," leading industrialist and Bajaj Auto Chairman Rahul Bajaj had then remarked. But since then, the slugfest over a Lok Pal and need for a legal framework for it has become overtly political.
Source: Business Standard
India Inc uneasy at Hazare standoff
Comment: The Parliament and Politicians should echo the Citizens Voice and not their own agenda of spinning money. The best constitutional experts need to be consulted to make an effective Lokpal bIll- not by vested Lawyers and Bureaucrats.

Former Supreme Court Judge gives up his anti corruption crusade

Karnataka's top crusader quits
NDTV Correspondent, Updated: June 23, 2010 21:15 IST

Bangalore: Karnataka's top anti-corruption authority has resigned, more than a year before his term ends. Former Supreme Court judge Santosh Hegde took on the job of Lokayukta in August 2006.

He took on corrupt officers, conducted raids and booked even a ruling party BJP MLA Sampangi for taking bribes. But those, his team raided, were often reinstated in the same post from which they were suspended without consulting him and they were sometimes even rewarded.

"There are many reasons for my resignation, the government has shown deliberate indifference to the functioning of this institution," said Santosh Hegde, Karnataka Lokayukta.

Justice Santosh Hegde took on the powerful Bellary mining lobby, stating in his report last year, that crores of rupees were siphoned away from the state's exchequer through illegal mining.

Justice Hegde is a household name in Karnataka having taken a tough stance against the corrupt with his raids and reports; but those, he and his team, caught red-handed continue to walk free. His resignation citing helplessness is however bound to damage the image of Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa, whose BJP government is all set to celebrate its two years in office.

"Today is the blackest day in the history of Karnataka. Justice Santosh Hegde is one of the most honest and committed people we have," said Deve Gowda, JD-S president.

In the battle against corruption, the high office of the Lokayukta has for now lost a crusading soldier.
Story first published: June 23, 2010 19:58 IST
Karnataka's top crusader quits: Former Supreme Court judge Santosh Hegde took on the job of Lokayukta

Director IDSA spews Venom on the Military- Most unkind cut ever

Anil Dalal's a civilian response given below is to my posting in "JATLAND" about the IDSA Director's comments has more relevance than Military rebuffs.......
Brig Lakhsman Singh (veteran)

Sir,
I agree it is quite a ridiculous argument. Indian armed forces have always shown exemplary behavior in not seeking a political role for themselves and deferring to the democratically chosen leaders even if they are crap. The danger to Indian democracy comes more from the politicians who time and again show contempt for the rule of law and would go to any extent to seek power. The only time democracy went for a toss in India was during emergency in 1975-77, and that was because of a politician, Indira Gandhi. In fact, the armed forces showed remarkable restraint even in that period.

Even the rationale used by Mr. Sisodia is quite weak. If his "inversely proportional" logic has to be taken at face value, then is he arguing that a strong democratic state is based on weak armed forces? That is counter-intuitive, as if you don't have strong (and disciplined) armed forces, then you run into a danger of having local militias, strongmen, insurgents and what not. Indeed, the problems seen locally in many parts of India like Naxalism, private armies or insurgency are in part due to the weak state police. Moreover, he discounts the diverse nature of Indian army itself. Most armed dictatorships can be traced back to a strong ethnic bias and/or homogenous nature of the dominant force- Pakistan has Army controlled by Punjabis, Saddam had Baathists who were Sunni Muslims, etc. Indian armed forces have regional, ethnic as well as institutional diversity. Apart from Army, Navy and Air Force, where it would be difficult to argue which one is supreme, there are also lots of paramilitary forces like CRPF, BSF, ITBP, etc. And all these forces have ethinc/regional diversity in their ranks between and within themselves. It becomes very difficult for anyone to organize such a diverse force for an unconstitutional act like a coup. (of course making a leap of faith assumption that someone actually has that intention)
Anil Dalal

Dear Sir,
Please refer to the blog by Maj Gen (Retd) Satbir Singh, SM, Vice Chairman Indian ESM Movement, captioned above. (Background- given below)
Perhaps the Director IDSA was partially correct in that undue use of the Armed Forces in aid of civil powers does weaken the Democratic set up of a country. Beyond that, the connotation of the passage is totally unacceptable. General Satbir Singh has outlined some action plan to counter it. I would suggest an alternative starting plan. Why can't the politicians be confronted with this statement directly & asked to either agree or disagree with the IDSA Director? If they agree, AF would know where they stand. If not, AF should demand sacking the IDSA Director, as a message to the Babus. That way our plan of action to have OROP implemented would assume more clarity.
Regards
MB Ghosh (Veteran)

Background
Mr N.S. Sisodia an IAS Officer said that if Defence Forces are given more powers, they will seize power like Pakistan and Bangladesh. Such statements by bureaucrats of the status of Director IDSA are highly objectionable and to say the least are totally unfair to the most patriotic Defence Forces who have very strongly held the flag of democracy flying high in our country. The relevant part of the written script of the Director IDSA is as under:
“Heavy reliance on armed forces weakens civilian authority. Their frequent use enhances their power and influence in the polity. This enhanced power can become a threat to democracy as we have seen in the cases of Pakistan, Bangladesh and other countries which have suffered military coups. The extent of democratic control is inversely proportionate to the democratic governments dependence on the armed forces.”

Tailpiece
What about corruption of IAS Officers which is daily news now? Who is involved in looting the wealth of the nation, benami transactions, hawala operations, hoarding illegal money in Swiss Bank accounts, FDI investments through back door, generation of black money? Only the IAS are using the Military like a spanner to set their mess in order! The Military is right now shod of honour and teeth. It cannot bite thanks to AV Singh- Upgrade to degrade command and control structure (fully implemented in all phases- in entirety). The IAS- ISDA Director and his folk and ilk can rest in peace! Bureaucrat's Maxim: "Truth shall never prevail in the Power Corridors of Bureaucracy". They should remain buried forever in the files like Henderson Brookes Report which depicts future outcome for India...repeat of 1962. Will the Nation learn lessons when the truth remains buried?

Criminalization of Citizens by the State

Tamilnadu case study

Population of Tamilnadu: 6.5 crores

Ration Cards: 8 Crores

Bogus citizens: 1.5 crores

Freebies given to selected citizens
1. Television
2. Gas burner
3. Sarees and Gold
4. Computers and Laptops
5. Rs 2 rice for poor
6. Free electricity for poor and farmers

Councillors used for generating black money

Elected MP's involved in money laundering/ Hawala operation/ black money. Money so generated used for election and bribing the voters.

State run liquor business money utilised for financing and balancing state budget.

State Finances upped by Central Government.

Poor standard of infrastructure dotting and rotting all over the state and ill planned projects affecting the quality of life of citizens.

Politicians and Police being criminalised.

Government servants life style depends on bribes received.

All Public utilities and services run by government and authorities not held accountable.

Public sanitation adversely affecting health of citizens. Garbage strewn all over on the roads and stench emanating everywhere. No public toilets seen in cities.

Haphazard traffic, all roads dumped with building materials, filled with potholes or dug up for sewage or cable work. Illegal parking of commercial vehicles in front of residential houses and roads in all cities and towns, adding to traffic congestion and avoidable accidents.

All footpaths in towns and cities occupied by eateries and mobile shops and goondas. Public need to walk on main roads risking being hit by motor vehicles. Elderly and school children are victims of traffic deaths.

Deteriorating law and order where safety of ordinary citizens are at peril. Police remain mute spectators with no initiative to right the wrong. State owned Metro buses are traffic signal violators. Commercial vehicles mostly are steered by drunken drivers. All Politicians and Party Members of various Political Parties who drive don a flag and violate all traffic rules. No Police dares to check the authenticity of Political VIP's who drive rashly.

E.V. Velu
CHENNAI: If you go by the ration cards, the population of Tamil Nadu has crossed eight crore. The actual figure is around 6.5 crore, Food Minister E.V. Velu said in the Assembly on Monday, explaining the enormity of the problem.

“Even the names of those who died before 1984 find a place in the ration cards,” Mr Velu said, revealing that 2,13,367 bogus cards were unearthed when a pilot project was launched in Coimbatore and in Anna Nagar in Chennai.

“It was followed up in 10 districts and a total of 7,96,680 bogus cards were found. In the other 20 districts it will begin next month,” he said.

The Minister, in his reply to the debate on the demand for grants for his department, explained that the cancellation of cards was not done in a hurried manner and the cardholder was given 90 days to prove its authenticity.

Earlier, CPI(M) member G. Latha alleged that while the government had traced 18,000 bogus cards, no steps had been taken to provide new cards to genuine applicants.

When Congress Legislature Party leader D. Sudarsanam wanted to know whether the packet of 10 spices now being sold through the public distribution system for Rs. 50 would be made available for Rs. 25, Mr. Velu said he would discuss the matter with the Chief Minister.

Replying to PMK whip T. Velmurugan who complained about supply of adulterated chilli powder, the Minister said the government was procuring all items through a proper tendering process and the quality was being checked in laboratories. “We have returned six lakh items after they failed to meet quality norms,” he said.

Mr.Velu rejected the allegation that the number of ration shops was not adequate, saying that the DMK government had opened 151 full-time shops and 1,266 part-time shops. As regards AIADMK whip K.A. Sengottaiyan’s allegation about rice smuggling, he said the DMK government had taken stringent action on the matter, including cancellation of permits and driving licences.

“The AIADMK government only targeted drivers and cleaners. But we don’t spare the owners and others who are behind smuggling,” he further said.

The Minister said as many as 462 vehicles had been seized and 66 persons arrested for not following the route chart prepared by the Food Department.

Earlier, taking part in the debate, PMK member T.K. Raja came down on the freebies of the government, saying that “instead of distributing fish to people, the government must teach them fishing.”
Nearly 8 lakh bogus ration cards unearthed in 10 districts: Minister

Politician's Family Business in India

- by sundaram 29 May 2009
After years of Dynasties and Colonial rule India has been going through a period of shameful politicians and disastrous political culture which is affecting the life and living of common Indians in this country.
No where in the West or East politicians are so rich; where do they get all the money? Only swindling the legal way through making politics not for service of fellow countrymen but as way of life to earn more.
Most of the politicians become media barons, own television channels, run huge business establishments and produce movies not by their family business but after entering politics and these business are done to convert their ill gotten money into legal money.
The politicians don't drive Indian made cars and they drive cars which no one can afford to live in palatial mansions all at the cost of poor people of this country.
Panthers become pussy cats after the elections, fool the electorate. Son becomes union minister nephew becomes cabinet minister son in law to become gets women and welfare. And there is no law and justice in this WORLDS LARGEST DEMOCRACY. Family dynasty is the order of the day. Very soon there will be a revolution and we hope that will save our democratic system and values.
Politician's Family Business in India

Mumbai Mayhem: Taliban Insurgency Worrisome

Globe and Mail Update, May 10, 2009 at 3:06 PM EDT
OTTAWA — Canada's Chief of Defence Staff says the confrontation between Pakistan and its Taliban insurgency is “worrisome” but Pakistani forces have both motivation and might – and a victory could help the government in neighbouring Afghanistan.

General Walter Natynczyk, who recently returned from Afghanistan which shares both a border and the Taliban problem with Pakistan, told CTV's Question Period on Sunday that defence officials inside Pakistan are beginning to understand the problems they are facing.

“The situation in Pakistan is very worrisome. It has been for a while. The Taliban are in the western frontier area, in the FATA (Federally Administered Tribal Areas) and in the Swat (Valley). And they have been operating from those areas into Afghanistan for some time,” said Gen. Natynczyk.
Taliban's insurgency in Pakistan 'worrisome,' says Canada's top soldier

Are fighters religious zealots, thugs or revolutionaries? The perceptions of the public, leaders and U.S. are at odds, but the overriding sentiment in Pakistan is that 'America created this problem.'
By Mark Magnier
May 10, 2009
Reporting from Islamabad, Pakistan -- Islamic militants who burn schools and threaten women in the name of religious purity. A righteous force battling corrupt and venal officials. Or gun-waving gangsters who conceal their crimes under a banner of spiritual renewal.

Weeks of turmoil have made it appear as though a unified Taliban is on the march out of the wild northwest, staking out strategic ground for an assault on Pakistan's heartland. But who exactly the Taliban is may rest in the eye of the beholder.

Many Pakistanis don't see the Taliban as much of a threat and are not eager for a confrontation. On the other hand, oversimplification may lead policymakers toward a one-size-fits-all solution that is ineffective -- or even counterproductive.
Confusion over Taliban muddies the issues in Pakistan

Mumbai Mayhem: India ill equipped to tackle terror, says US report

Friday, May 01, 2009
Washington: The Mumbai terror attacks have put the spotlight on how India's outdated and overburdened law enforcement and legal systems are hampering the country's counterterrorism efforts, says a US State Department report.

"Although clearly committed to combating violent extremism, the Indian government's counterterrorism efforts remained hampered by its outdated and overburdened law enforcement and legal systems," said the State Department's annual report on global terrorism released Thursday.

The Mumbai attackers appeared to have been well-trained and took advantage of technology, such as Global Positioning System trackers.

But "local and state police proved to be poorly trained and equipped and lacked central control to coordinate an effective response", said the report, exposing the inadequacies in India's counter-terrorism apparatus.

The Mumbai "attack was the most recent in a long list of lethal terrorist incidents" in India in 2008. But "none of the perpetrators of these attacks has yet been prosecuted", the report noted.

However, in response to the Mumbai attacks, India's parliament has introduced legislation to restructure counterterrorism laws and proposed creating a National Investigative Agency to build a national-level ability to investigate and prosecute alleged terrorist activity, it noted.

Also in response to the Mumbai attacks, the Indian government amended some existing laws to strengthen the hands of security and law enforcement agencies in fighting terrorism.

Two themes have framed the public debate on the new legislation: states' rights vs. federal power, and civil liberties vs. stronger law enforcement powers, the report noted.
Source: IANS
India ill equipped to tackle terror, says US report

"I'm more concerned that the civilian government there right now is very fragile and don't seem to have the capacity to deliver basic services -- schools, health care, rule of law, a judicial system that works for the majority of the people," Obama said in a prime-time news conference marking the 100th day of his presidency.
Obama censures Pak govt; says "very fragile"
Related reading
India among world's most terrorism-afflicted nations: US- Press Trust of India Friday, May 01, 2009, (Washington)

India ranks 5th in illicit financial outflows: report

Sunday, April 26, 2009
Washington: India ranks fifth globally among 127 developing countries for illicit financial outflows, according to a report released by the Global Financial Integrity (GFI). The report "Illicit Financial Flows from Developing Countries: 2002-2006" estimates the total illegal capital flight from developing countries to be as high as USD 1 trillion per year.

In 2006 around ten dollars were lost due to illicit outflows on every one dollar received as official development assistance(ODA), it said in a statement released through Asianet. "This massive loss of assets is the greatest impediment to economic development and poverty alleviation and should be a concern for all nations," Raymond Baker, director GFI said.

According to the report, the total illicit financial outflows from India rose to USD 27.3 billion per year during the period 2002-2006. The illegal outflows involve activities such as corruption (bribery and embezzlement of national wealth), proceeds of illicit business that becomes illicit when transported across borders in violation of laws and regulatory frameworks.
Source: PTI
India ranks 5th in illicit financial outflows: report

I will revive economy in 100 days, if voted back: PM

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has told mediapersons that he will revive the economy, if voted back to power. For this purpose, he will formulate a 100 day action plan to revive the economy by adding greater drive to the stimulus packages and tackling job losses.

"There is considerable scope to refuel the stimulus packages and our aim is to take the economy back to the stage where 9% to 10% growth is possible," he said, adding that such a boost would revive confidence in the economy.

Singh was quite hopeful for speedy economic recovery and creation of new jobs. He said that the economy recovery process was being initiated by cement, textiles and construction industries and these sectors would also create employment opportunities.

Singh has also added that in his 100 day action plan, he will try to bring back black money salted away in tax havens abroad by taking whatever steps required. He, however, disputed figures being quoted by BJP leader L K Advani. "I am not denying its existence but how much in Swiss banks, how much in tax havens, nobody knows." he said

On opaque banks in tax havens, he said, "We argued within a group of friendly countries for absolute transparency within the banking system and an international agreement to share information between tax authorities of different countries."

The PM has also said that given the international ramifications, his government would take immediate steps to modernize the security and intelligence mechanism if voted back to power. He also drew attention to the Taliban's growth in Pakistan and linked it to a spurt in terror directed against India.

On the role of home-grown terror, he said, "We cannot say there are no links between terrorists outside and terrorists within the country." He laid emphasis on getting the basics like ground-level policing right. "Ultimately, community policing is the best way (of handling the problem)," he said.
I will revive economy in 100 days, if voted back: PM

Comment: Police Reforms alone can bring ground level policing to perform and ensure safety of its citizens from VIP terror. Intelligence agencies can easily identify and tag frequent fliers to tax heavens and Swiss banks from the Airlines manifest which is available online. There must be Political will to apprehend tax evaders, hawala operators and smugglers who ultimately fuel terrorism. India is main hub of hawala transanctions which is fuelling terrorism worldwide because of lax laws and corrupt bureaucrats.

Terrorism is related to hawala transanctions and black money

WASHINGTON: Cautioning that the 'hawala' money in India is directly linked to terrorist financing, the US has suggested to New Delhi to strengthen its anti- money laundering and counter terrorism- finance legislation's.

It also recommended that New Delhi should work towards becoming a full-fledged member of Financial Action Task Force (FATF), an inter- governmental body for development of policies to combat money laundering and terrorist financing.

While noting that the Indian Parliament passed the Prevention of Money Laundering (Amendment) Bill, early this week, a US State Department report has suggested that India should make necessary legislative amendments to bring its anti money laundering and counter terrorism finance regime in conformity to FATF.

"Given the number of terrorist attacks in India and the fact that in India hawala is directly linked to terrorist financing, India should prioritise cooperation with international initiatives that provide increased transparency in alternative remittance systems," said the report in its section on India related to money laundering.

The report, released by Assistant US Secretary of State for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, David T Johnson, quoted RBI estimates that remittances to India sent through legal, formal channels in 2007-2008 amounted to USD 42.6 billion.

According to Indian observers, the report said funds transferred through the billion dollar hawala market are equal to between 30 to 40 per cent of the formal market.

"In that case the hawala market could amount to between USD 13 billion to USD 17 billion," the report on International Narcotics Control Strategy, said.

Given the large number of expatriates, India continues to retain its position as the leading recipient of remittances, according to the World Bank.

India's strict foreign-exchange laws and transaction reporting requirements, combined with banking industry's due diligence policy, makes it difficult for criminals to use formal channels to launder money, the report said.

However, large portions of illegal proceeds are often laundered through "hawala" or "hundi" networks or other informal money transfer systems.

The report appreciated the steps taken by India post 9/11 with regard to money laundering and its possible use by terrorist network. However, several key steps are still required to be taken by New Delhi, it felt.

Listing out the steps New Delhi still needs to take, the report said India should become a party to the UN Conventions against Transnational Organized Crime and Corruption.

"Also, India should pass the Foreign Contribution Regulation Bill for regulating nongovernmental organisations including charities," it said.

"India should devote more law enforcement and customs resources to curb abuses in the diamond trade. It should also consider the establishment of a Trade Transparency Unit (TTU) that promotes trade transparency; in India, trade is the back door to underground financial systems," the report said.

The hawala system can provide the same remittance service as a bank with little or no documentation, at lower rates and with faster delivery, while providing anonymity and security for its customers, the report said.

According to the report, while most money laundering in India aims to facilitate widespread tax avoidance, criminal activity contributes substantially. Some common sources of illegal proceeds in India are narcotics trafficking, illegal trade in endangered wildlife, trade in illegal gems (particularly diamonds), smuggling, trafficking in persons, corruption, and income tax evasion, it said.
Hawala money in India linked to terror funding: US

Related reading:
Black Money In Swiss Bank: Swiss Banking Association report 2006
Black money in Swiss banks people's money : Advani
Campaign to unearth black money in Swiss banks
LS polls to cost more than US prez poll

When the crusade of the West against Swiss banks is succeeding, here Dr Manmohan Singh and his government, instead of celebrating, seem to be worried at their success. Three bits of evidence expose the Congress-led government’s not-so-well-hidden worry. First, when Germany’s finance ministry offered the LTG bank secret data to any country that needed it, the government would not ask for it despite reports that it contained some 100 Indian names. When in April last year, L K Advani wrote to Manmohan, requesting to him to ask Germany for the data, the then finance minister responded evasively. Transparency International noted India’s “stoic silence over the issue” and that it “has not approached the German government for the data’’ (Economic Times, May 25 2008). More, the revenue secretary in Delhi has reportedly advised the Indian ambassador in Berlin not to push Germany for the details as Germany might not like it– clear proof that the government is scuttling, not getting, the details.
A deafening silence on funny money

Comment: "Cash for Votes" is financed from Hawala money transactions. The Government is handicapped and powerless at the might of Hawala and Black money operators/ perpetrators. The Income Tax Department, Home Ministry and RBI are mute spectators and really are extensions of government committing fraud on honest citizens!

Election 2009: Vote for a better India

Criminals in Politics? Come let us all Ensure "No More"
Date: Mar 16, 2009 5:03 AM
Subject: Use this MP3 file to Scorn Criminals Fighting Elections
Let us oppose criminal candidates fielded by any party. Let us condemn them by every means possible, and make them feel worthless. Let us actively arouse public opinion against them. To spread strong vibes against Netas who deserve to be behind bars rather than in Parliament, my friends and I have created this remix-medley in Hindi. Download or Play this song click me
This medley also takes a dig at citizens who shirk social responsibility. If you like it, please circulate widely. Feedback is welcome.
Warmly,
Krishnaraj Rao
email: thebravepedestrian@gmail.com
We INVITE YOU All to Join Hands for a Better India

राजनीति में अपराधियों? हमारे "" कोई अतिरिक्त सभी सुनिश्चित करते हैं
तिथि: मार्च 16, 2009 5:03
विषय: घिन अपराधी चुनाव लड़ने के लिए इस एमपी 3 फ़ाइल का उपयोग करें
हमें किसी भी पार्टी ने आपराधिक उम्मीदवार मैदान में विरोध करते हैं. हमें हर संभव तरह से उन्हें निंदा, करते हैं और उन्हें बेकार महसूस करते हैं. हम सक्रिय रूप से उनके खिलाफ जनमत उत्तेजित करते हैं. सलाखों के पीछे नहीं बल्कि संसद में, तुलना करने Netas खिलाफ जो लायक मजबूत वाइब्स प्रसार करने के लिए अपने दोस्तों और मैं इस remix-हिन्दी मिश्रण में पैदा की है. डाउनलोड या प्ले यह गाना मेरे क्लिक करें
यह मिश्रण भी नागरिकों पर है जो सामाजिक जिम्मेदारी से बच नहीं एक खोदना लेता है. अगर तुम इसे पसंद है, कृपया व्यापक रूप से प्रसारित. आपके सुझाव का स्वागत है.
गरमी से,
Krishnaraj राव
हम तुम्हारे साथ हाथ सभी के लिए एक बेहतर भारत के लिए आमंत्रित

Making National Investigating Agency Work

On January 1, the National Investigation Agency Act as well as the Unlawful Acrtivities (Prevention) Amendment (UAPA) Bill became law. Ironically, on the same day, seven years after it was set up for coordinating intelligence intelligence sharing, the Multi Agency Centre (MAC) also became functional through an executive order. It has the charter of transferring intelligence received by central agency automatically to the State Police and visa versa.
Full article click: Making NIA Work

Citizens appeal to the Politicians

To: Indian MPs and Leaders of National Political Parties
Dear Members of Parliament and Leaders of National Political Parties

As concerned citizens, we urge you to restore the country’s faith in our highest democratic institutions by removing the taints of crime and cash from the election process.

We urge you to take immediate steps to ensure that only clean and capable candidates are nominated for the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections as well as for the Assembly Elections in October- November in Rajasthan, MP, Chhattisgarh, Delhi and Mizoram.

The process of nominating criminals and spending exorbitantly on election campaigns should stop immediately.

It is ironic that an ordinary citizen cannot get a Government Class IV job with even a small criminal record, but one can become a Chief Minister or Cabinet Minister, with a murder charge against him. The current Lok Sabha has 22.1 \% (120 out of 543) elected MPs with criminal records against them. The number of cases of serious criminal charges against Lok Sabha MPs is 333, with several MPs having multiple cases.

Corruption in society begins with the huge spending in elections. The Chief Election Commissioner wrote publicly that “If a candidate is willing to spend ten times more than the prescribed ceiling, it is not out of philanthropy, but in the secure knowledge that he can earn ten times what he spends once he gets to the seat of power.” Therefore, exorbitant expenditure in the elections, including distributing cash, liqour, clothes, and other in-kind inducements to voters to influence their votes should be completely stopped.

We reiterate that you actively work to persuading your party leaders to nominate only clean and capable candidates for the elections.

This is a petition sponsored by National Election Watch - a non partisan, non political campaign led by citizens comprising of a nationwide network of 1200 civil society organizations, people’s movements, NGOs, eminent citizens and leaders. The National Election Watch campaign is supported by the Association for Democratic Reforms (www.adrindia.org) and now has over 25,000 records of all candidates, including all the Lok Sabha MP and candidates from 2004. The findings are widely distributed by the print and electronic media which has supported these election watches and campaigns.

Sincerely,
The Undersigned
Click here for petition online