Reliance offices raided by CBI
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, Nov 19 — The offices of Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) in Delhi and Mumbai were today raided by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) sleuths in connection with the case under the Official Secrets Act registered against the group’s Delhi President V. Balasubramaniam.

According to CBI sources, at least 10 premises of the RIL in Delhi and Mumbai, including its corporate office were searched by the sleuths during the day-long operation. However the CBI was tight-lipped on the outcome of the raids.

The Delhi police had earlier registered a case under the Official Secrets Act against Mr Balasubramaniam following the recovery of certain "top secret documents" from his office premises. The searches at his residence and office were carried out in connection with the Romesh Sharma case, in which the documents had been found.

According to reports Dawood Ibrahim frontman Romesh Sharma and Balasubramaniam were partners in real estate business in the Capital and ran at least two firms under the Reliance Industries Ltd.

The police had later also clarified that Reliance Industries as such had no connection with either Romesh Sharma or the two firms which he was running in partnership with Balasubramaniam. The RIL had also denied any connection with Romesh Sharma.

Over the past week the CBI had also questioned Balasubramaniam at least on three occasions at its office. The case under the Official Secrets Act registered against Balasubramaniam was transferred to the CBI last week following orders from the Home Ministry.

The CBI had already taken into possession the documents and other materials relating to the case after the probe was transferred to it from the Crime Branch of the Delhi police to the investigating agency.