NEW DELHI: The case of the controversial pay offs to the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha MPs took a sensational turn last week, when a Vishakhapatnam based businessman, P, Bhaskara Rao, told the Delhi High Court that he had acted as a conduit for god man Chandraswami to strike the deal.

In a three page sworn affidavit submitted before a division breach of the Delhi High Court comprising Justice Y.K. Sabharwal and Justice M.S.A. Siddiqui, Bhaskar Rao alleged that he ‘was given Rs 3.5 crores by Chandraswami to hand over to the IMM MP Simon Marandi to save the Narasimha Rao Government at the time of the no confidence motion in July 1993.

 Bhaskar Rao, who appeared before the division bench told the court, “I played a key role during the no confidence motion to save the minority government of P.V. Narasimha Rao for the national interest.”

Claiming close association with Narasimha Rao and his sons, Chandraswami, Janata Party president Dr. Subramaniam Swamy, and other leaders of both the ruling and Opposition parties, Bhaskar Rao told the parties that he had been making frequent telephone calls to them and talking to them from his home town Vishakhapatnam, from where he is contesting the Lok Sabha election as an Independent.

“Whenever 1 visited New Delhi, I used to meet them personally in their offices and houses,” the affidavit states.

Bhaskar Rao also pleaded for security to him and his family as he apprehended a ‘threat to their lives.

It may be noted that the Rashtriya Mukti Morcha (RMM) had filed a petition alleging that four JMM MPs and Suraj Mandal, Simon Marandi, Shiba Soren and Shailendra Mahato had received the money to the tune of Rs 3.5 crore, All the MPs deposited that amount in their individual and joint accounts respectively on August 7 at the Nauroji Nagar branch of the Punjab National Bank.

‘The affidavit states that P. Bhaskar Rao had received money from Janata Party president Subramaniam Swamy to pass it on to the JMM leader Suraj Mandal. He, however, passed the amount to another JMM MP Simon Marandi in two installments on the instruction of Suraj Mandal, another IMM leader.

“On July 24/25, 1993, 1 was summoned by P,V, Narasimha Rao, his son, god man Chandraswami and Dr. Subramaniam Swamy and others in connection with some urgent work…! Immediately rushed to Delhi and checked in Hotel Kanishke” the affidavit states.

“I personally met Chandraswamiaod Dr, Subramaniam Swamy who apprised me about the proposed no confidence motion to be laid in the Lok Sabha, on July 26, 1993. I was also told by Dr, Swamy that the proposed no confidence motion moved by the Opposition had to be defeated at any cost.

” “Narasimha Rao telephoned me at my hotel room and requested me to do everything to defeat the no confidence motion for which said he would be highly obliged. He also asked me to get in touch with both Swamis (Chandraswami and Subramaniam. Swamy),” the affidavit states.

“During my stay at the Kanishka Hotel, I was handed over a sum of Rs. 3, 50 crores by Dr. Subramaniam Swamy, which was sent by Chandraswami,” the affidavit said.

Bhaskara Rao said that he paid the first installment of Rs 1.3 crore to Simon Marandi on July 27, 1993, a day before the no confidence motion was to be taken up and remaining Rs 2.20 crore was paid by him to Marandi ‘a day after the no confidence motion was defeated. He further said that he had received the acknowledgment receipt from Marandi.

Meanwhile, the court declined to issue any directions to the authorities in this regard immediately but said this aspect could be considered when. The case came up for regular hearing, on May 1.

Earlier, in a fresh affidavit filed before the court last week, the petitioner Ravinder Kumar accused the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) of sheltering the accused and also misleading the court.

The petitioner stated that “in the annals of criminal law, this is the shortest first information report (FIR) ever recorded. Its only merit is that it is fit to find entry into some book of world records.”

Elaborating the FIR against JMMMPs registered by the investigating: agency, the Ravindra Kumar said that the FIR consisted of only four sentences, 13 lines and 111 words, whereas his complaint ran into 18 sentences, 56 lines and 540 word sand every word was relevant.

 Seeking court’s direction against local English daily for carrying a report, Suraj Mandal’s counsel A.M. Singhvi said that there should be some discipline, Defense counsel PN. Lekhi also suggested that the court issue show cause notice to the news< paper as to how they got hold of the affidavit.

 

Article extracted from this publication >>May 1, 1996