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If HD Deve Gowda had to pay with his job for the revival of
-investigations into the Tanwar murder case, in connection with
which Congress President Sitaram Kesri was named before the Delhi
High Court a fortnight ago, home secretary K Padmanabhaiah may be
the next to pay the same price.
Kesri summoned Padmanabhaiah loudly during the lea that followed I
K Gujral's induction as Prime Minister at Rashtrapati Bhawan
yesterday and told the shaken home secretary that he knew
"everything." He referred specifically to affidavits, saying lie
knew all about them.
Kesri was evidently referring to the reopening of investigations
into the murder in 1993 of S K Tanwar. According to an AICC
office-bearer, Padmanabhaiah was in close touch with Deve Gowda
over the few days before Kesri was named in the Delhi Police report
to the court. He coordinated the police action on the sensitive
case, Congress leaders believe.
On April 2, they claim, Padmanabhaiah had coordinated for the CBI
and the Delhi Police to prepare separate affidavits to be filed
before the court. lie Delhi police would say in its affidavit that,
though it had closed the case in 1994, certain areas remained
uninvestigated and the CBI should go into these. The CBI affidavit
was to have stated the bureau's readiness to take charge.
Surprised by Kesri's loud statement that he knew everything,
Padmanabhaiah asked him, "Sir, what do you know?" Kesri referred to
affidavits but would only say beyond that that "I know what you
know." To that Padmanabhaiah replied: "Sir, that is good.
Knowledge is power."
Obviously unnerved by Kesri's sally, Padmanabhaiah went over to
AICC general secretary RK Dhawan and told him that there seemed to
be some misunderstanding in Kesri's mind. After a while,
Padmanabhaiah returned to where Kesri was chatting to some
reporters. Pushing his way with some effort to Kesri, he offered
to go to Kesri's residence and discuss things with him whenever
Kesri pleased.
Kesri turned to give him a withering look and walked away.
Clearly, in Kesri's mind, the time for talking is over.
Padmanabhaiah, who halls from Andhra, was trusted by former prime
minister PV Narasimha Rao. According to political circles, he was
given an indefinite extension late last year by Deve Gowda at the
behest of Rao. Gowda had ordered the extension when home minister
Inderjit Gupta was out of town. Gupta did not get on with
Padmanabhaiah and had already chosen a successor for him.
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