Kerala lottery scam ...... completion of probe may bring some explosive details on money laundering and black money

http://t.co/AVb2iHfI

Kerala lottery scam: India to seek Bhutan's help

Vishwa Mohan,TNN | Dec 2, 2012, 03.49AM IST 

NEW DELHI: India will soon send a Letter Rogatory (LR) — formal request for carrying out investigation abroad — to Bhutan in connection with the ongoing probe into the lottery scam in Kerala, where lotteries were allegedly sold in an unauthorized manner coupled with manipulation in selecting winners. 

The matter is being probed by the CBI which is looking into the irregularities committed by operators of Bhutan and Sikkim lotteries in Kerala between 2001 and 2012. The LR is required to obtain details from Thimphu about the sale of Bhutan lotteries in Kerala during the period. The CBI, which has been probing 32 cases related to the scam, suspects that the lottery prizes were used to be cornered by influential people, including government officials from different states, to convert their black money. 

"Union home ministry has approved the CBI's request for LR. The LR will be issued by filing application in a court in Kerala shortly," said an official. 

The move will help the investigating agency get all relevant details to unearth irregularities like printing of fake and banned lottery tickets and manipulation in selection of winners and also find out the magnitude of the scam. 

The probe and cooperation at Thimphu's end is required in the light of the statement given by Santiago Martin, the Tamil Nadu-based businessman who was the distributor for Bhutan lotteries in India. Martin, who is one of the accused, is learnt to have won distributorship in an auction held in Bhutan five years ago. 

"Indian investigators will examine all these details by recording statements of Bhutanese officials," said the official. 

He said that copies of legal agreement between Bhutanese authorities and Martin, information on number of draws, legally allotted ticket numbers and other relevant details would help the CBI in filing charge sheet in the cases. 

It is alleged that the accused was running the lottery racket where first prizes were rarely won. The probe mainly revolves around the sale of Sikkim and Bhutan lotteries in Kerala. Though the CBI and state police had got all details from Sikkim government, information from the Bhutan is still awaited. "The LR to Bhutan is likely to remove the roadblock," added the official........................http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=VE9JS1JLTy8yMDEyLzEyLzAyI0FyMDA1MDM=&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom

Gujarat ..... a test case .....

http://t.co/pxWraEes

By Vishwa Mohan, TNN | Nov 12,2012, 12.45 AM IST

Gujarat tops states in number of Muslim policemen

NEW DELHI: Gujarat, which faced one of the worst anti-Muslim riots in the country barely 10 years ago, has emerged as the state with the largest number of Muslim cops posted in police stations, beating states with a higher proportion of the community in their population.

The data, shared by the home ministry in response to an RTI query filed by TOI, shows that 10.6% of Gujarat's cops posted in police stations are Muslims. This is higher than the proportion of Muslims in the state's population, which is 9.1% (2001 census).

The state has 5,021 cops from the community out of a total of 47,424 in its 501 police stations. On an average, Gujarat has 10 Muslim cops per police station — higher than any other state which shared data with the Centre.

The trend comes to light at a time when most states have failed to implement a key recommendation of the Sachar Committee report, suggesting that more Muslim cops be in police stations to build confidence among the community.

Assam and Kerala, home to a much larger chunk of Muslims, have a higher percentage of the community in their police forces. But Gujarat has higher number of Muslim cops. Along with Odisha, it is the only state where the percentage of Muslims in the police force is higher than in the general population.

The list includes 17 states and six Union Territories (UTs) and leaves out states such as Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh (where Muslim population is 10% or more), which did not share data with the home ministry despite several reminders.

Gujarat has 5,021 Muslim police personnel in its 501 police stations compared to 2,210 Muslim cops in 451 police stations in Kerala, 2,048 in 525 police stations in West Bengal, 930 in 773 police stations in Rajasthan and 616 in 417 police stations in Jharkhand.

Absence of data from 11 states and one UT (Puducherry) may spare them from being scrutinized at this juncture by the Centre but not sharing figures of Muslim cops may itself raise a question mark over these states' commitment to implement the Sachar committee recommendations.

TOI had sought information under the transparency law in the context of the home ministry's missive to states reminding them about implementing Sachar panel's recommendations on posting a minimum of one Muslim inspector or sub-inspector in police stations which catered to a sizeable number of the minority community. This, the committee said, should be done "not eliminate discrimination but as an initiative to build confidence".

The ministry also sought details of action taken by the states in this regard on a half-yearly basis.

The Sachar committee, constituted on March 9, 2005 under the chairmanship of Justice Rajinder Sachar to prepare a comprehensive report on the social, economic and educational status of Muslims in India, had submitted its findings in November 2006.

Gujarat tops states in number of Muslim policemen

By Vishwa Mohan, TNN | Nov 12, 2012, 12.45 AM IST

On an average, Gujarat has 10 Muslim cops per police station — higher than any other state which shared data with the Centre.

NEW DELHI: Gujarat, which faced one of the worst anti-Muslim riots in the country barely 10 years ago, has emerged as the state with the largest number of Muslim cops posted in police stations, beating states with a higher proportion of the community in their population.

The data, shared by the home ministry in response to an RTI query filed by TOI, shows that 10.6% of Gujarat's cops posted in police stations are Muslims. This is higher than the proportion of Muslims in the state's population, which is 9.1% (2001 census).

The state has 5,021 cops from the community out of a total of 47,424 in its 501 police stations. On an average, Gujarat has 10 Muslim cops per police station — higher than any other state which shared data with the Centre.

The trend comes to light at a time when most states have failed to implement a key recommendation of the Sachar Committee report, suggesting that more Muslim cops be in police stations to build confidence among the community.

Assam and Kerala, home to a much larger chunk of Muslims, have a higher percentage of the community in their police forces. But Gujarat has higher number of Muslim cops. Along with Odisha, it is the only state where the percentage of Muslims in the police force is higher than in the general population.

The list includes 17 states and six Union Territories (UTs) and leaves out states such as Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh (where Muslim population is 10% or more), which did not share data with the home ministry despite several reminders.

Gujarat has 5,021 Muslim police personnel in its 501 police stations compared to 2,210 Muslim cops in 451 police stations in Kerala, 2,048 in 525 police stations in West Bengal, 930 in 773 police stations in Rajasthan and 616 in 417 police stations in Jharkhand.

Absence of data from 11 states and one UT (Puducherry) may spare them from being scrutinized at this juncture by the Centre but not sharing figures of Muslim cops may itself raise a question mark over these states' commitment to implement the Sachar committee recommendations.

TOI had sought information under the transparency law in the context of the home ministry's missive to states reminding them about implementing Sachar panel's recommendations on posting a minimum of one Muslim inspector or sub-inspector in police stations which catered to a sizeable number of the minority community. This, the committee said, should be done "not eliminate discrimination but as an initiative to build confidence".

The ministry also sought details of action taken by the states in this regard on a half-yearly basis.

The Sachar committee, constituted on March 9, 2005 under the chairmanship of Justice Rajinder Sachar to prepare a comprehensive report on the social, economic and educational status of Muslims in India, had submitted its findings in November 2006.


Union home ministry's data on Muslim police personnel as on October 16, 2012:


1. No. of Muslim police personnel who are posted in 'police stations' (top six states):

Gujarat - 5021

Assam - 2210

Kerala - 2210

West Bengal - 2048

Tamil Nadu - 1206

Rajasthan -- 930

2. Share (percentage) of Muslim personnel in total number of cops in 'police stations' 

Assam - 21.5%

Kerala - 11.6%

Gujarat - 10.6%

West Bengal - 8.4%

Jharkhand - 6.4%

Rajasthan - 3.9%

3. Proportion of Muslim population in these states (2001 Census data)

Assam - 30.9%

West Bengal - 25.2%

Kerala - 24.7%

Jharkhand - 13.8%

Gujarat - 9.1%

Rajasthan - 8.5%

4. Proportion of Muslim population to total population of India (2001 Census data) - 13.4%

5. Eleven states - UP, Bihar, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Mizoram, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh - have not shared data with the home ministry.....................http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=Q0FQLzIwMTIvMTEvMTIjQXIwMDEwNA==&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom