Advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court on Friday seeking concrete action on the Vohra Committee Report submitted in 1993. The N.N. Vohra committee was set up after the 1993 Mumbai blasts to take stock of the nexus developed over the years between the mafia, politicians and government functionaries. Upadhyay speaks exclusively to The Daily Guardian about his PIL and more.
Q: What have you demanded in the PIL?
A: After the Mumbai bomb blast of 1993, a high-level committee led by then Home Secretary NN Vohra was set up. Chiefs of the CBI, IB, R&AW and other intelligence agencies were part of the committee. They submitted a report of 110 pages. Three copies were made of the same: one was given to the Home Ministry, the other to DoPT and the third was kept by Mr Vohra. No action was taken on that, despite PILs being filed and the SC, in 1997, saying that this matter should be probed. Later, as an eye wash, an 11-page report was submitted in the Parliament without even the annexure. The report exposes many individuals, even sitting MPs and MLAs and national award winners. All of them are puppets of Dawood Ibrahim. We are asking for this report to be given to the intelligence agencies and they be asked to probe the findings of the commission and all those found guilty be punished.
Q: You’ve read the report. You are claiming many Congress leaders are named in it. What was their role in the entire issue?
A: Many people like Sharad Pawar and Ahmed Patel are named in the report. The SC has already said that this issue needs to be probed and I’m asking the court to follow up on that. These individuals are acting like minions of Dawood Ibrahim and Iqbal Mirchi. They should not be let scot-free. CBI, NIA and ED need to look into this. All those involved in making the report are still alive. Speak to them and they will reveal the truth.
Q: Who didn’t allow this to be published? What about the 11 pages that did come out?
A: Those 11 pages are a summary. The annexure wasn’t added to it and that is main. R&AW, CBI inputs were part of the annexure and it wasn’t published. 90% of the report wasn’t published. High-level people are involved in not making this public. There are about 50 people involved with Dawood and Iqbal Mirchi who are named in the report.
Q: You say these individuals are still part of Parliament. Do you think they are still extending support to Dawood?
A: This is what needs to be probed. This is why I have filed this PIL. The agencies need to find out the truth and bring to justice those involved with the underworld. There are various angles, including money laundering and realty deals, involved in the matter.
Q: From a legal standpoint, what is the process ahead?
A: My PIL has been registered and now the SC has to decide when to hear this matter. I am going to write to the SC registrar that this matter is extremely important and should not be delayed.
Q: Have you spoken to N.N. Vohra and Dinesh Trivedi, the former petitioner in the case filed before the SC?
A: All I know is that high-level politicians, including two CMs, eight MPs and many other politicians are involved in the matter.