Money recd by Abhishek Verma not related to Scorpene deal: CBI

New Delhi, Mar 20 (PTI) India's premier investigative
agency, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which had
conducted the preliminary investigation into Scorpene
submarine deal, has found no evidence to link the money arms
dealer Abhishek Verma received from abroad was connected with
the deal.

The report submitted to the court in a sealed envelop said
the investigating agency had so far found no evidence against
Verma in the deal.

"At least we can disclose that the remittences that
Abhishek Verma received were not connected with Scorpene deal.
The deal happened much later," a bench comprising Chief
Justice A P Shah and Justice Sanjiv Khanna said while
referring to the contents of report.

The report was submitted after the court had directed
conduct of the preliminary inquiry into the allegation of
payment of kickbacks in the Rs 16,000 crore Scorpene
submarine.

The court has so far not disclosed the contents of the
report as the investigating agency had contended that
disclosure of it would adversely affect country's diplomatic
relations with other nations which co-operated in the
investigation.

"Disclosure of the CBI report to public will not only be
against the interests of the nation but will also adversely
affect the diplomatic relations of India with the concerned
country (which participated in the investigation)," CBI
director Ashwani Kumar had said in his affidavit before the
Delhi High Court.

The government had finalised the Rs 16,00O crore deal
with the French company in October 2005. The petition alleged
there were middlemen involved in the deal which was against
the government's policy.

"It is submitted that some of the information is
information received in confidence from foreign government and
the disclosure thereof may prejudicially affect the
relationship of India with foreign states," Kumar said in his
13-page affidavit.

The High Court was hearing a petition filed by an NGO,
the Centre for Public Interest Litigation, seeking
full-fledged investigation into the deal by an independent
agency other than CBI.

Earlier, the government had informed the court that CBI
had gone through several pen-drives, e-mail messages and
records of telephonic conversations which allegedly took place
between officials of the submarine-maker Thales and the
alleged middlemen but could not find any evidence.

The investigating agency conducted the preliminary
inquiry on a court direction passed on December 20.

The court in its order had restrained the agency from
closing the case after conducting the inquiry and had said CBI
would have to satisfy it that there was no evidence of payment
of kickbacks in the deal. PTI AAC
SAK