Once upon a time, there were two criminals with high connections. The first one is still a famous fugitive from the law with apparent high connections who is living a life of luxury in a sanctuary. The second one was a convicted felon (criminal) who spent time in prison but all charges were dropped and he was set free as a good will gesture owing to his high connections. That is the similarity- the high connections. Both were responsible for crimes and their crimes were glossed over due to their proximity to the people in power. Both had patrons in power who were willing to scratch each other's back and let their own criminal be pardoned or let go free!

Who are these worthies or notorious urchins (depending upon one's perspective) we talking about here? The first one is a very easy guess. Of course we are talking about the now 86 years old Warren Anderson, the fugitive former CEO of Union Carbide Corporation against who interpol red corner notice is still valid. It is a truth, now universally acknowledged, that high officials in the state Government of Madhya Pradesh including the former chief Minister were directly involved in the release of Warren Anderson on December 7th 1984. This white skinned criminal who was treated more like a son-in-law of the Chief Minister, was garlanded by the officials and was sent off ceremonially to New Delhi in the state government's official aircraft. How could a mere minion of the ruling dynasty, the CM of Madhya Pradesh take such a huge step unilaterally when he swore his allegiance day in day night to the ruling first family? Of course there were powers to be in the ruling dynasty (first family) that had asked for the release of Warren Anderson. and you know, Arjun was really the man Friday of Rajiv! From cabinet minister to working President of the Indian National Congress (I) to the Governor of Punjab to CM of Madhya Pradesh. Wherever Rajiv wanted him, Arjun went loyally. His was not to reason why! Just remember the poem "The Charge of the Light Brigade" by Lord Tennyson. You know for feudal chieftains, unflinching loyalty to the King-Emperor is paramount. Declassified CIA documents now tell us the direct pressure Ronald Reagan put on Rajiv Gandhi for the release of Warren Anderson. Former US diplomats and former Indian bureaucrats testify to the same. No amount of fudging and obfuscation can deny the fact that Indian National Congress (I) was the ruling part both at the center and at the state level in Madhya Pradesh.

In the release of Warren Anderson we see parallels with another wheeler and dealer Ottavio Quatrocchi of the Italian firm Snam Projetti who was let loose by India's ruling family and their minions in the Bofors case. Of course he was the bosom friend of the first family. Cases were deliberately weakened against him. Ill-gotten bribes obtained abroad as numbered bank account funds that were frozen in UK were released because the UPA government publicly stated in an affidavit that there are no pending cases against poor old Ottavio Quatrocchi. Extradition cases were not pursued with dogged determination and Himalayan blunders made in the legal process. Net result was the reward for personal loyalty to the ruling dynasty for an electorally defeated but retired Minister in the form of governorship of Karnataka. Minion of the family Hans Raj Bhardwaj is now playing politics in the Raj Bhavan in Bengaluru trying to destabilize an elected government belonging to the opposition on His Mistress's Voice! Other minions from the first family shouted from rooftops that "political" and "legal" harrassment of Ottavio on the Bofors issue should stop. The un-elected prime minister lost his voice and did not speak a word.

One would wonder that Ottavio is the second notorious criminal with high connections that we were talking about. It is very logical of course. Ottavio was the pal of the Gandhis, i.e. Rajiv and Sonia Gandhi. He was the god father of the "first children", of course now crown prince Rahul and Mrs Priyanka Vadra. His involvement in financial corruption, illegal commissions and bribes on behalf of you know who can not be doubted by any sane person. But is he the second convicted criminal who spent some time in prison we are talking about? No, not really!