Oil regulator V K Sibal has alleged that Anil Ambani Group had orchestrated a vilification campaign against him to settle personal scores with corporate rival Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries.
"...It appears all the vilification campaign is being orchestrated by vested interests led by the Anil Ambani Group with the sole intention of stalling my extension to settle personal scores with RIL," Sibal said in a letter to the government earlier this week.
Sibal accused the CVC, which earlier this month sought CBI help to verify allegations of his taking favours from RIL for approving higher capital expenditure of gas fields, of breaking its own rules in entertaining anonymous and pseudonymous complaints and not giving him an opportunity to explain his position.
Anil Ambani Group firm RNRL, which is fighting a bitter battle with Mukesh Ambani Group company for getting gas at $2.34 per mmBtu, has alleged that Sibal had favoured RIL in lieu of personal gains and sought a CVC probe.
Annexing his detailed reply to allegations, Sibal sought an audience from Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions Prithviraj Chavan to explain facts.
"The complaints date back to the period 2005-06 and are being enquired into now, after a gap of 3 to 4 years," he wrote to Chavan, who heads the nodal ministry for appointments of government officials.
"While the CVC has asked the CBI to conduct a discreet enquiry, no opportunity has been given to me to explain my position," Sibal wrote to Chavan on October 7.
CVC's guidelines state that a complaint has to be disposed off within a fixed time-frame, which in Sibal's case had long expired.
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No explanation had been sought from him on a complaint of him receiving a flat worth Rs 3 crore in Mumbai in 2007, Sibal said.
He said CVC move was based on anonymous and pseudonymous letters that CVC had not adhered to its own time-frame for enquiry and disposal of such cases.
"The sustained malicious campaign has caused irreparable damage not only to my professional career but my image as an honest and transparent government officer," he said. "As the Director General, I have only tried to perform my duties and responsibilities with utmost sincerity and honesty, and therefore, this malicious propaganda is highly demoralising."
CVC guidelines state that "to avoid unnecessary harassment to the officials, against whom frivolous complaints are received at the time of their promotion/selection, the Commission has decided that no cognizance should be taken of any complaint which is received six months prior to the initiation of selection process for senior posts".
The latest complaints fall under the six month period.