A petition has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking a direction to the Centre to hand over the complete report with annexures, memorials, and written evidence that were placed before the Vohra Committee to the Director NIA, CBI, ED, IB, SFIO, RAW, CBDT, NCB for a comprehensive investigation.
Former Indian Home Secretary N. N. Vohra was head of a committee (after his name) formed to study the problem of criminalization of politics and the nexus between criminals, politicians, and bureaucrats in India. The report was submitted in October 1993. The report contained observations by official agencies on the criminal network which, the report said, was “virtually running a parallel government”. The report also looked into criminal gangs that enjoyed the patronage of politicians from all parties as well as protection from senior government functionaries. It was a comprehensive report, showing how political leaders had become the leaders of gangs and were even connected to the military. Also, the unpublished annexures to the Vohra Committee Report are believed to contain explosive material.
The petition has been filed by Advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay, who has submitted that the Vohra Committee Report is a compilation of the responses of its member’s viz. Secretary-RAW, Director-CBI, Director-IB, Secretary Revenue. In the main Report, these various reports have been analyzed and it is noted that the growth and spread of crime syndicates in Indian society have been pervasive. It has been observed in the report that the mafias, smugglers, and money launderers have developed an extensive network of contacts with bureaucrats, government functionaries, politicians, legislators, strategically located persons in the non-governmental sector and some of the criminal syndicates have international links with foreign intelligence agencies.
The Report recommended that an efficient Nodal Cell be set up with powers to take stringent action against crime syndicates while ensuring that it would be immune from being influenced. However, no follow-up action on the findings of the Vohra Committee Report had been initiated in the last 27 years.
The petitioner has thus urged the Court to set up a Judicial Commission consisting of retired Judge(s) of the Apex Court with sufficient experience of criminal matters to monitor the probe by NIA, CBI, ED, IB, SFIO, RAW, CBDT, NCB into the disclosures that would be made consequent to the directions and further legal action could be pursued by the Court once the Commission submits its complete report.
Alternatively, the petitioner has prayed for a direction to the Lokpal of India to monitor the investigation by NIA, CBI, ED, IB, SFIO, RAW, CBDT, NCB. The petitioner has also urged the Court to empower Lokpal to exercise statutory powers under the CrPC and declare that it would be able to launch prosecutions against politicians-bureaucrats-criminals on the basis of evidence collected for offenses under the IPC and other laws. The Court may further direct to set up Special Courts to expeditiously try all such cases.
The petitioner has also sought a direction to the Home Secretary to withdraw the Padma Awards to all those Politicians whose names have been mentioned in the Vohra report.
This Article Does Not Intend To Hurt The Sentiments Of Any Individual Community, Sect, Or Religion Etcetera. This Article Is Based Purely On The Authors Personal Views And Opinions In The Exercise Of The Fundamental Right Guaranteed Under Article 19(1)(A) And Other Related Laws Being Force In India, For The Time Being.
