Playing with share scam
It is a strange position that the finance minister has taken -- to get an investigation done into the stock manipulation but not to publish it. Stranger is that the same report that the finance minister is trying to keep away from public eye so steadfastly is being published everyday in every newspaper. The question then arises why this secrecy with a report that millions have been waiting for with the hope that the real culprits behind the scam would be exposed.
The finance minister's rather simplistic explanation that the reputation of the people named in the report is valuable and therefore should not be tarnished without proper check is appreciable but not enough to justify the secrecy. The people who were in the committee are of high professional integrity and wisdom, and when they had named anybody in the report they must have not forgotten the accused persons' reputation that might come under clouds. So whatever they have done have been done with full knowledge of the implications and with judiciousness. Let the probe body and not the government take the onus of their investigation.
What would remain of the report if it is edited? In our view, the report will lose its fundamental thrust as it is full of names of both individuals and companies who had done dubious deals.
The report, we believe, should stand on its own. Any attempt of the government to tinker with it will amount to withholding information from people.
It is understandable that many of the actions of these persons mentioned in the report are not illegal per se. They had done many of the things under the existing law as one of the named persons has already told the media. But mention of such deeds is important as this only shows the gaping holes in the law that need to be plugged immediately. Moreover, one's actions can be covered by the law but it still would not exonerate him from the charge of manipulation if his willful actions lead to artificial price inflation. So we need this probe report to be published officially and in full.
Publication of the report in its entirety has now become a test of credibility for the government. Any kind of deviation would only make people wonder whether entrenched interests are being shielded.
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