New Delhi
18 April 2006
The government has divested career diplomat Rakesh Kumar of his
charge as Special Secretary (Economic Relations) in the Ministry of External Affairs and
replaced him with Mr Rinzing Wangdi.
Mr Wangdi is a 1971 batch Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer. He took charge as
Secretary (Economic Relations) on Monday. He has served in many positions including
as India's ambassador in Argentina and Paraguay and consul general in Houston in the
United States.
Although no official comment was forthcoming on Tuesday from the government in the
investigation into Mr Rakesh Kumar's alleged involvement in human trafficking to
Germany, sources quoted his family as having told the Central Bureau of Investigation
(CBI) that Mr Kumar had left for Rishikesh to "recuperate".
The family of Mr Rakesh Kumar, a 1972 batch IFS officer, claimed no knowledge of his
whereabouts. The CBI team was informed on Monday that he had gone to Rishikesh to
"recuperate" after he had got himself hospitalised for nearly a fortnight in Munich,
Germany. On Tuesday, his family said he was not in touch with them.
The Ministry of External Affairs had served the notice sent by the CBI at his residence
and directed him to make himself available for questioning before the investigating
agency. The CBI team had also served a notice directly at his South Delhi residence on
Monday under Section 160 CrPC under which he directed to produce himself for
questioning.
The CBI had registered an FIR against Mr Rakesh Kumar and three others after nine of
the 15-member dance troupe went missing upon their arrival in Berlin. Mr Kumar was
then the director of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR.)
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