By IANS
New Delhi : Upset over the Delhi Police making little headway in probing the role of some parliamentarians in a human smuggling racket, a Delhi court Tuesday ordered the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the police to take over the case.
Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) Kamini Lau asked the EOW to take over the case, saying: "The case also involves creation of fictitious business establishments to facilitate huge transaction of money."
"The case needs to be investigated by a specialised investigative agency like Economic Offences Wing of Delhi Police," said Lau, ordering that a copy of her order be sent to Delhi Police Commissioner K.K. Paul.
Lau passed the order after Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Sanjay Tyagi appeared before her to explain the Delhi Police's alleged inaction in booking the MPs reportedly involved, including Mitrasen Yaday of Bahujan Samaj Party.
The human smuggling racket involving Bharatiya Janata Party MP Babubhai Katara came to light April 18, when he was held while trying to smuggle out a woman and a boy to Toronto on his family's diplomatic passport.
Betel shop owner Sunderlal Yadav, travel agent Santu Mashi and trainer Kiran Dhar who used to educate women how to behave with the MPs while flying abroad posing as their wives or relatives were also arrested.
Lau had summoned a senior police officer Monday after the investigating officer of the case failed to explain why the police had not booked Mitrasen Yadav.
Tyagi sought to assure Lau that "the police was working hard to procure some concrete evidence before laying its hand on the other MPs".
He said, "the police has gathered several documents from various Indian embassies and was examining them to see if some concrete evidence exists against the other MPs."
The explanation by the police prompted Lau to ask, "Or, are you scared (of booking MPs)?" The police denied the suggestion.
While objecting to Kiran Dhar's bail plea Monday, Additional Public Prosecutor Satinder Kaur Baweja had told Lau that accused Rajender Kumar Gumpa, private secretary of suspended BJP MP Katara and Kiran Dhar along with BSP MP Mitrasen Yadav had forged the memorandum of association (MoA) of a company, Frigero Conserva Allana Ltd.
She told the court that the company, during the probe, however, denied that these people had any role in its affairs.
They appeared to have forged the company documents to enhance the personal profiles of the prospective emigrants to facilitate the issuance of visa to them, police said.
It was on this revelation about MP Yaday that Lau asked the investigating officer Monday as to what steps police has taken against the MP. As the investigating officer failed to satisfy the court's query, a senior police officer was summoned by it to explain the situation.