CBI books former DGH VK Sibal for scam in oil exploration

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The CBI registered a case against former director general of hydrocarbons V. K. Sibal (DGH) and six of his ex-colleagues on Friday for taking kickbacks to favour a US-based private company in the exploration of oil and gas along Indian coasts. The DGH was grilled for several hours after the agency sleuths conducted raids on his premises as well as those of the other accused in Delhi, Noida, Dehradun and Mumbai.

“The crackdown has led to the recovery of documents relating to immovable and movable property belonging to the accused. Other incriminating papers have also been seized,” a CBI spokesperson said. Apart from Sibal, the other accused in the case are ex-chief geologist D.K. Rawat; then adviser, geophysics, S. K. Jain; former accounts department head K.A. Murli; then adviser, contracts, Anurit Sahi; ex-finance manager TSLN Reddy; then chief chemist Savendra Gupta; GX Technology; and the company’s manager of exploration, Sujata Subramaniam.

The CBI said the Directorate General of Hydrocarbons had awarded a contract to GX International in 2005 at an inflated cost and the deal caused a loss of around Rs 400 crore to the exchequer. Official sources said the government often allows both domestic and foreign firms to carry out seismic exploration and develop oil and gas fields in areas with potential hydrocarbon reserves.
A Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report had come down heavily on the oil and petroleum ministry last month, observing that the DGH had provided undue benefits to several private companies, including Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), Cairn India and British Gas.

Official sources said they were also probing other contracts awarded by the DGH and more cases could be registered in the coming weeks. The FIR followed a preliminary enquiry (PE) by the investigating agency in 2009, soon after allegations against Sibal broke out. The three PEs registered by the CBI included the alleged favouritism showed by the oil ministry to RIL.

The Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) had recommended CBI probes into the omissions and commissions of the ministry. The agency was also investigating Sibal’s alleged attempts to scuttle a CVC inquiry into discrepancies in oil exploration and contracts executed by domestic and foreign players. He was accused of concealing official documents to avoid a thorough probe.
Sibal was “blatant” in exploiting his professional links with corporate groups for personal gains, sources said. The bungalow in Noida where he stays was owned by a person whose wife is a director in a private oil firm. This company was awarded an on-land exploration block in November 2008 as part of a consortium.

The ex-DGH’s Noida office was said to have been owned by another private firm and there were several reported instances of his daughters enjoying the hospitality of the entities which dealt with their father. Sibal’s shenanigans first came to light in October 2009 when the Anil Ambani group told the Supreme Court about his alleged nexus with RIL. Anil was then locked in a fierce court battle with his brother and RIL owner Mukesh Ambani over the pricing of gas supply. The CAG also indicted the DGH for allowing RIL to inflate its exploration cost, but added that it was not in a position to comment on the merit of the decision.

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