Attempt to hurt my credibility: Finance Secy

As an adjunct to the main story,my name has been mischievously and unfairly dragged in.

Responding to The Indian Express report (Armed with ED phonetaps,Govt questions motive of HC bench,January 10),Finance Secretary Ashok Chawla has sent the following letterto the newspaper:

As an adjunct to the main story,my name has been mischievously and unfairly dragged in. When the reporter,Ritu Sarin,spoke to me more than three months ago,I told her the matter was between the ED and the company and that I was not aware of any issues in this regard. The reporter only partially quoted me without checking the facts again either with me or with the competent Authority,viz.,the Cabinet Secretary,who is duly empowered to decide on complaints/allegations made against serving Secretaries to Government of India.

If the reporter had cared to speak to the Competent Authority and get his version,I would have been spared the embarrassment and calumny which this report has caused. The report is clearly intended to damage my reputation and credibility built up over a service of over 37 years.

Ritu Sarin replies:

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The report is based on official exchanges between the CVC,the ED,the Cabinet Secretary and the CBI,copies of which are with The Indian Express. The letter from the CBI Director,dated June 29,2010,to the Cabinet Secretary makes it clear that permission was sought to inquire into the complaint against the Finance Secretary under Section 6A of Delhi Special Police Establishment Act. The letter of the Cabinet Secretary,dated May 1,2010,instructs that action on the complaint should wait till ED completes its probe.

Over the last month,The Indian Express contacted officials of the Cabinet Secretariat,the CBI,the ED and the CVC for their versions and updates. I didnt contact the Finance Secretary again because the ED probe is on in fact,Letters Rogatory were sent to several countries two months ago. And the EDs case challenging the High Court stay is currently in the Supreme Court.