NEW DELHI: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has sealed the palatial house of former Union minister Satish Sharma in Kaplani village, about 8 kms from Mussoorie in Uttar Pradesh and is awaiting his return from abroad to interrogate him to connection with the Rs 3.3 crore JMM payoff case. CBI sources said here today that a CBI team, led by Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Kutty, raided the house of Capt. Satish Sharma located on the Mussoorie-Dhanaulti road seized a large number of documents and other papers. Later, the officials sealed the house in presence of the caretakers. The sources said the house, which has the facility of a helipad, and the farmhouse is reportedly worth Rs 30 crore.
They said the CBI sleuths were eagerly awaiting the return of Sharma from the Czech Republic where he has reportedly gone with his wife Sterra Sharma. The Mussoorie property is in the name of his wife. Sharma had built the house last year in violation of mules and regulations and a large tract of jungle area had been cleared to make ground for the helipad. However, Sharma had denied any kind of violation and had said everything was done accordingly to the law, the sources said. The CBl is also likely to register case of possession of assets disproportionate to the known sources of income against the former Union minister, shortly, the sources said.
Capt. Sharma has been named as one of the accused along with former Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao, former Union ministers Ajit Singh, R.K. Dhawan, V.C. Shukla and Buta Singh, former Haryana chief minister Bhajan Lal and noted industrialist Lalit Suni. The CBI has assured the High Court that it would be filing a charge sheet in the case before October 29 and the raids are being seen as a prelude to.
Article extracted from this publication >> October 16, 1996
