NEW DELHI: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) charge sheets against Mr. Madhayrao Scindia, Mr. V.C. Shukla and/Mr. Balram Jakhar, in the ongoing hawala scandal, seek to present cast-iron cases against the three former ministers.

At the core of the CBI’s exercise is an attempt to establish that the tri individually, had much more than intermittent Social interaction with the Jains, and that the entries against their names in the infamous Jain hawala diaries were nothing but payments for services rendered.

‘The CBI has enlisted the testimonies of, among others, the three Congressmen’s ‘Personal staff like security personnel PAS, ‘rivers and ministerial staff, in trying to make the Jains intimacy with the trio incontrovertible. ‘The charge sheet against Mr. Scindia links his decision as the Minister of State for Railways in 1986 to award a Rs 2 Crore contract for the manufacture of cast iron bogies to the Jain brothers’ Beck Stcel Castings Lid with entries against his name in the diaries. In his capacity as either Member of Parliamentary minister, Mr. Scinidia’s alleged to have received Rs 75 lakh from S.K. Jain, but this amount does not include Rs 25 lakh which, according to the Jain diaries, reached him on April 20, 1991 for “political expenses.” The charge sheet, thus, claims that Jains made Mr. Scindiaricher by Rs one crore.

Mr. Balram Jakhar is shown to have received Rs 83.24 lakh (Rs 51.24 lakh as public servant) from the Jains between March 1988 and April 1991, On the other hand, the charge sheet against Mr. V.C. ‘Shukla states that the Jains gave Rs 80.85 Lakh to him between July 1989 and April 1991. It further accused Mr. Shukla of receiving $10.500 from the Jains. Interestingly, annexed to all the three charge sheets are two char is. While one Consists of entries from S.K. Juin’s diary showing payments made to individual politicians over the years, the second and more exhaustive chart combines entries from various other notebooks maintained. by the Jains, The total amount in both the ‘charts concerning Mr, Seindia, Mr. Jakhar Gand Mr. Shukla tallies to the last paisa, ‘By this circumstantial evidence showing a paliem between two different sets of entries, but which show the same total, the BI intends to establish the authenticity of the figures.

‘The charge sheets also contain the statements of all the three Congressmen, each denying any financial dealing with the Jains. Mr, Scindia his statement is shown to have been recorded on September 13 last says, “I have known S.K. Jain for the last 8 or 9 years, but I do not know BR, Jain, NK. Jain and JK. Jain, in, 1993, 1 attended the binh day party for S.K. Iain’s daughter in Mahrauli TL was a big gathering of about 5.000 people.”

Mr. Shukla goes to the extent of stating that “the families of S.K. Jain and BR. Jain are quite intimate tome for the last 20 {years as] have family relations with them, His statement was recorded by the CBI, on August 8 last

However, Mr. Shukla; s contention that he was not financially involved with the Jain is in stark contrast to the charges placed by the CBI.

Maintains the charge sheet “In 1994, BEC Impex (International) Pvt Ltd. (controlled by the Jain, gave a donation of Rs 10Jakh, to Ravi Shankar Shukla Hospital and Mr. V.C, Shukla was the spirit behind

 

 

 

Running the hospital.” Furthermore, points out the charge sheet, .R, Jain and Venue Jain stood guarantors for the lease finance of machines worth Rs 90 lakh of Mchima Hospital, Raipur, which was financed by Ms. Lloyds Finance Ltd, Bombay: A daughter of Mr. Shukla is reported to be one of the directors OF the hospital.”

A significant statement showing alleged Shukla Jains nexus is of S.R. Chaudhary, an executive director (finance) of BEC, Delhi. The charge sheet quotes Mr. Chaudhary: “I had visited Mr, Shukla on the instruction of Mr.S.K. Jain and had met two directors, Dr. Reddy and Mr. Subhash Dhuppad, at the residence of Mr. ‘Shukla. Mr. Shukla was present there at the time.”

According to the charge sheet, Mr. Chaudhary stated that he had been working for Ravi Shankar Shukla Hospital from the office of BEC, Delhi “on Mr. S.K_Jain’s instruction.”

Mr. T: T. Bhatia, an employee of S.K.

Jain was also, working for the hospital.

MISC EC SNCEL STAs

Mr. Subbash, first PA to Mr. Jakhar, held before the CBI, that he had seen B.R. Jain Visiting the former minister23 times, “This witness,” claims the charge sheet, “has also seen S.K, Jain visiting the office of ‘Mr. Devi Lal, the then Deputy Prime Minister, as he was working as his PA from November 1989 to June 1991.” Gabbar Singh, head constable in the Delhi Police, who was deputed as PSO to Mr. Akhar since 1986, stated before the CBI that Jain was a frequent visitor to Mr. Jhakar’s residence and three years ag0 had accompanied “Mr. Jakhar to Jain’s farmhouse near Mahrauli where many VVIPs had gathered for a dinner.”

Other CBI witnesses who mentioned Jains* meetings with Mr, Jhakar included Sheesh Pal, head constable, Dev Singh, constable, and Chandra Bhan, assistant sub inspector, In the charge sheet against Mr, Scindia, ‘security personnel Surinder Singh, held that J.K. Jain was “a frequent visitor 19, Mr, Scindia’s residence and was one of the few persons who were exempted from Security check Ms., Suman Sabharwal, receptionist at Rail Bhawan, has identified S.K. Jain as a “regular visitor” to Mr, Scindia when he was the Minister of State for Railways, According to her, “Jain was allowed to go in on the basis of passes issued to him at the instance of Mr. Scindia’s. Personal staff,” S. Ashok, second PA to Mr. Scindia, also identified S.K. Tain as being a regular visitor to the former minister. In the case of Mr. Shukla, the charge sheet banks on the statements of his two security officers, Narendra Singh and Gyan Singh “who have identified S.K. Jain, BIR. Jain and Arvind Jain as persons who have been regularly visiting Mr. Shukla at his residence.”

‘Add it this the stateliest of Bharat Singh, SK. Jain’s driver for the past 16 years, Bharat Singh, maintains the charge sheet, stated that he had driver Jain in various cars “to the residences of several ministers and MPs, including Jakhar, Scindia, Shukla, Kalpnath Rai, Arif Mohammed Khan and P.Shiv Shankar.” ‘The CBI claims that in September 1989, the Jains arranged a foreign visit for a family member and an associate of Jakhar. ‘The Jains paid Rs 89,000 to a Delhi based travel agent for tickets to London, Rome, Paris and Switzerland, states the charge sheets.

What Jain said about Rajiv I paid Rs 4 crore to Rajiv Gandhi, who wanted the money 0 give it to Ms. Jayalalitha.

Half the money was paid to Rajiv’s private secretary, Mr. V. George the other half was paid to the Congress party treasurer, Mr. Sita Ram Kesari, in two installments in May 1991 as his residence.

The payments to Mr. Sita Ram Kesri are not found in the Jain hawala diaries, because they were made in May 199] and the diaries had already been seized in April that year.

‘A kickback of Rs 105 crore was demanded from a Russian company, Tyaza Permo Export by Delhi. This was paid to Captain Satish Sharma who claimed it was for Raji a Captain Satish Sharma said that the Rs 105 crore payments should be listed against the name of Mr. Lalit Suri at Ines Morel the pimiento were made:

Article extracted from this publication >>  January 31, 1996