Petroleum Ministry espionage scam

The sensational corporate espionage scandal has taken another significant turn with more shocking revelations coming to light on Saturday.

Former journalist Shantanu Saikia who had been arrested for allegedly receiving classified documents, claimed that he was framed while working on the Rs 10, 000 crore petroleum Ministry scam. Five senior executives of top energy firms including Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) and Essar and two consultants were arrested for their alleged role in the case making the total number of people arrested in the case, 12. These arrested people are believed to be involved in the scam to steal and sell secret government documents to private energy companies and consultants for a bulky premium. According to the latest Intelligence Bureau reports, two Joint Secretaries of the Petroleum Ministry also has significant roles in the scandal. The Delhi Police, which is probing the case, reports to the Home Ministry. Out of the seven people produced in the Court on Friday, four were sent to police custody till February 23 and three were remanded to judicial custody for two weeks. Home Minister Rajnath Singh today said that those involved in scandal would be strictly punished. Several senior bureaucrats of petroleum, power, coal and commerce ministries reportedly cancelled their scheduled meetings with corporate officials and media persons as the espionage scam came to light. If carried out sincerely, more scandalous revelations are likely to get unveiled.

The right wing government is hugely backed and run by the corporate bigwigs anticipating to continue the same strategies they have been implementing since the time of UPA government. Modi government has also pandered to the demands of the US with the premiers of both the nations meeting each other and charting out ways towards India’s economic advancement and those that would benefit America. The corporate moves will exploit and destabilize more than 30 crore citizens in the country with the reigns given in the hands of senior officials of the Ministry that favour the corporate interests. Modi succumbs to all the demands and is evidently not concerned about the members in his government neglecting even the pressure building up inside the Sangh Parivar. The economic policies of the present government, if not through other ways, are carried out through the government ordinances. But as usual the corporates are likely to escape the law and the whole hype would die down after a while with the innocent people made scrap goats in between. One has yet to see how Modi reacts to the latest revelations.