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Without naming names

Patriotism, according to Dr Johnson's dictum, is the last refuge of the scoundrel. Had he met a certain Romesh Sharma, Dr Johnson could have added a rider: politicians are the first refuge of a scoundrel.

Or even better: scoundrels are the first refuge of politicians! That is the horrifying truth emerging from Romesh Sharma's statements under interrogation.

Sharma is a man who has long had a questionable reputation. Even if his name was never familiar to the public at large, he seems to have had a finger in every pie cooked by the underworld's chefs. Land-grabs, extortion, rape, murder, even abetting terrorism -- you name it and Romesh Sharma appears to have been involved in it.

Why was he never arrested, even after the authorities intercepted calls to men accused in the infamous Bombay blasts case? Simple, Romesh Sharma had taken immense care to cultivate several senior politicians. His powerful friends shielded him. There was no altruism involved; Sharma was useful and they couldn't find a better replacement.

It takes very senior politicians indeed to draw a protective hand over someone who may have been involved in the Bombay blasts. And Sharma's friends do indeed include some of the most famous names in India.

The Delhi police have hard evidence in its possession today linking these men to Romesh Sharma. There are videotapes of as many as three former prime ministers enjoying his hospitality. No, names can't be mentioned right now, nor even party affiliations. But when I speak of former prime ministers the description obviously cannot apply to anyone in the BJP.

But the Delhi police didn't really need videotapes to know of Romesh Sharma's connections. Access to Race Course Road, official residence of India's prime ministers, is strictly regulated. But Romesh Sharma's car used to be waved through with no questions -- an honour shared with the notorious 'godman' Chandra Swami (also behind bars today).

Sharma even convinced his friends that he needed protection. He was given what is called 'Y-class security'. This is normally conceded by the Union home ministry after considering various criteria -- procedures that were totally ignored in this case.

But it wasn't just prime ministers who used the unique services Sharma offered. News reports mentioned a "former defence minister" who is linked to Sharma. However, I have learned that it isn't one former defence minister, but two.

As with the three prime ministers, the names cannot be revealed right now. Let us just say that both are very ambitious men who are still very far from a graceful retirement from politics. And, oh yes, neither man belongs to the BJP.

There is no space here for the full list of Sharma's friends. There is a former finance minister -- he has held other senior posts too -- for whom Romesh Sharma allegedly ran an export firm. There are civil servants, policemen, industrialists, even a few journalists.

Let me just say that this has the potential to become the greatest scandal ever in Indian politics, bigger by far than the convoluted Jain hawala case. But is it enough to say that everything is all right because Romesh Sharma is now in custody?

Not really, the Indian people need to be told how Sharma acquired such power. We need to be told precisely which politicians used his money-laundering services -- told openly, not in dribs and dabs.

It is instructive to trace Romesh Sharma's career over the past 20 years. When he came to Delhi, the only vocation available to him was that of a street-side fruit-juice vendor. Today, there is property worth at least Rs 5 billion with him. But it isn't enough to know that he became a contact man in Delhi for the Mumbai Mafia.

The late Haji Mastan, openly acclaimed as a smuggler and more, said it best. "Do you think the police doesn't know about us?" he demanded rhetorically. "If they really wanted, Bombay could be cleaned up in a single week!" But policemen cannot trespass beyond limits set by their political masters.

Not surprisingly, Romesh Sharma cultivated politicians, especially those of the Congress variety. In fact, he was once the head of the Kisan cell of the All-India Congress Committee. Given that India was ruled mostly by Congress or Congress-backed governments, should we be surprised at his immunity from the law?

Sharma may be guilty of dozens of crimes. But the men who protected him over the years are no less to blame. They must be called to account.

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T V R Shenoy