Kolkata:
Following the bribery scam that cost Pawan Bansal his job as Railways Minister, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is apparently also investigating appointments made during the tenures of former rail ministers.
Whether by coincidence or by design, an Indian Police Service or IPS officer in Kolkata, Nazrul Islam, has sent a letter to the Ministry of Home Affairs on May 10, alleging corrupt practices in the ministry in 2010 when West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was Railways Minister.
In 2010, when Ms Banerjee was Railways Minister, she appointed Mr Islam as executive director (security). In that capacity, she reportedly asked him to investigate the then chief security commissioner BS Sidhu.
Mr Islam has written she "told me very boldly, "Sidhu is very corrupt. Suspend him. Throw him out."
But once he got evidence against Mr Sidhu, Mr Islam alleges he was stonewalled by Ms Banerjee's Officer on Special Duty or OSD Gautam Sanyal.
Later, Mr Islam says he learnt that the Railways Ministry did not send his findings about Mr Sidhu to the Home Ministry. It simply released Mr Sidhu from the ministry citing some minor irregularities committed by him.
Islam alleges that he learnt that the whole exercise of investigating Mr Sidhu was to pressure him to give more bribes than he already had "to persons in the Railway Ministry cell who really mattered. Once he paid enough, they were eager to protect him."
Ms Banerjee has lashed out at the Centre for targeting her. "You are trying to hide the faults of your own ministers while pointing out the flaws of the rest of the world," she said in Burdwan the same day the letter was sent.
The Trinamool has refused to comment on Mr Islam's letter officially. But party sources say there are several vigilance cases against him and many of his actions as a police officer are under the scanner.
The Opposition wants an explanation from the Chief Minister. Leader of the Opposition Surya Kanta Mishra of the CPM said, "Such complaints are of a very serious and dangerous nature and can only be investigated by the CBI."
All eyes now are on what the home secretary in Delhi does about Mr Islam's letter bomb.