CBI director pays covert visit to city

Official sources told DTNext that Kumar, who came down to Chennai on Monday, first visited the Rajaji Bhavan at Besant Nagar and held discussions with officials of the special crime branch. He then visited Shastri Bhavan at Nungambakkam and reviewed cases registered by the anti-corruption wing of the CBI. 

Verma had particularly asked about cases booked against sand mining baron Sekhar Reddy and gang and reviewed the progress in investigation. He also directed the CBI officials to crack more cases of corruption involving central government officials. “It was a routine visit. But he personally reviewed the status of various cases and gave instructions,” an official attached to the CBI told DTNext.

The CBI director also took time off from his official trip to visit Tirupati Tirumala Devastanam and Puducherry, sources added. This is his first visit to Chennai after taking over as director of the nation’s premium investigation agency. 

Sources said various administrative challenges in the CBI were brought to Verma’s notice by the officials in Chennai. “There are several issues like shortage of manpower, especially when more and more cases are being transferred to the CBI by various courts. This was brought to the notice of the director,” an official said. 

The director had also made enquiries regarding cases in which investigation had been going on for several years. CBI’s Chennai zonal unit handles cases both in Tamil Nadu and Kerala and the director had asked the officials not to delay the investigation in such cases and to wrap them up faster as a delay could seriously dent the credibility of the investigation agency.