By IANS,
New Delhi : Former union minister Buta Singh Friday termed the arrest of his son in a corruption case as a conspiracy against his “personal and political life” and rebuffed demands for his resignation as chairperson of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
“This is a conspiracy to malign my political and personal life,” Buta Singh told reporters after his son Sarabjot Singh, alias Sweety Singh, was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) early Friday, having been caught allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs.1 crore from a Nashik-based contractor.
On the CBI’s role, Buta Singh said: “I do not want to comment on the CBI. I know the CBI very well.”
The CBI is also trying to ascertain Sweety Singh’s involvement in some other financial transactions, including hawala or illegal money transfer deals.
According to CBI sources, the corruption case against Sweety Singh involves a complaint filed by Nashik-based civic works contractor Ramraj Patil.
Patil had alleged in his complaint that Sweety Singh had demanded a bribe of Rs.3 crore, which was later brought down to Rs.1 crore, for withdrawal of a case under the Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, filed against Patil by a group of local workers employed by him.
Patil is a contractor with the Nashik Municipal Corporation. Around 100 of the conservancy workers employed by him had filed a case as he was allegedly not paying them their wages and had also taken a bank loan of Rs.10 crore in their name.
Sweety Singh, who was reported to be in touch with the aggrieved workers, approached Patil with an offer to withdraw the case in return for Rs.3 crore, the investigators alleged.
After some haggling, Patil promised to cough out Rs.1 crore but also informed the CBI about Sweety Singh’s alleged demand.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Friday demanded the resignation of Buta Singh from the chairmanship of the SC/ST commission.
“This is a case of open corruption… Buta Singh must resign,” BJP leader Gopinath Munde said.
However, reacting to the BJP’s demand, Buta Singh said: “Those telling me to take a look at my moral responsibility, should first look at their own moral responsibility. If I have done anything (wrong), I will give my life for it. I will ask the government’s permission to investigate the matter myself.”
Reacting to the issue, Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) politburo member Sitaram Yechury said the “law must take its own course”.