MADRAS: Though he pleaded ill-health, self-styled god man Chandraswamy was finally arrested at a Madras hotel by a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) team last Thursday. His close associate Kailash Nath Aggarwal alas “Mamaji” was also.
Earlier in New Delhi, Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) Prem Kumar had issued non bailable warrants against Chandraswamy and Mamaji, directing the CBI to arrest and produce the duo before him on or before May 14.
Kumar’s 17page order contained scathing comments on the CBI. “The investigative agency, which operates directly under the Prime Minister, has been dillydallying on the investigation due to the Government’s lukewarm attitude. Investigation (in ‘the case) has been going on for years without tangible results while it would. have not required much time to get to” the bottom of the case.” The arrest was made by a 10mem‘ber CBI team led by Joint Director (Madras) D. Mukherjee and SPs Lakshmi Prasad and P.M. Goud.
Mukherjee told media persons little after midnight in the lobby of the Om ‘Sindoori Hotel that the arrest had been recorded at 8:30 p.m., “I have brought a warrant to be executed, sent by our Head Office, We have executed the warrant by telling Chandraswamy that he has been arrested.”
‘He added that the warrant was issued by the CMM, New Delhi, and received at 7:30 p.m.: “We have requested the CMM Madras to come to the hotel to seek a transit remand, we are awaiting his order. Either he comes here or we have to take Chandraswamy to the CMM’s house. Our people have. Gone to meet the CMM, The remand has to be obtained within 24 hours of the arrest.”
Asked if Chandraswamy would be flown to Delhi immediately thereafter, the CBI Joint Director said that the doctors would have to certify him fit. “We have to ask our doctors too.”
‘Asked if Chandraswamy resisted the arrest in any manner, he replied: “No. He was only pleading health grounds, ‘and his people were quoting from an earlier order in the same case. We have to argue that before the CMM.”
Asked if there was any pressure from the Prime Minister or any other quarter, Mukherjee replied: “there was no pressure.”
Janata Party President Subramaniam ‘Swammy and State unit President V.S, Chandralokha had called on Chandraswamy at the hotel suite, and were closeted with him for over three hours. Asked if Swamy had spoken on behalf of Chandraswamy, Mukherjee replied: “I have not talked to Dr. Swamy. He might have met Chandraswamy later.”
‘Swamy later told media person that he was calling on Chandraswamy as a friend. Swamy returned to the hotel after the CBI entered the self-proclaimed god man’s room to arrest him.
Earlier, Prem Kumar passed the order after taking cognizance of the charge sheet filed by the CBI against Chandraswamy and Mamaji in the Lakhu bhai Pathak cheating case. Pathak, an NRI businessman, held that he was duped of US $500,000 by the two in 1983.
Chandraswamy’s personal assistant said that god man had immunity through a 1988 bail which was granted by the same court in New Delhi.
Eight years ago, on February 13, 1988, the CBI while acting on Pathak’s complaint, had —_ arrested Chandraswamy and Mamaji. But four days later, the two managed to secure bail.
Last month, the CBI filed a recorded statement of another NRI, Labhchandani, maintaining that he too was cheated of $1 lakh and a diamond ring worth $3000 by Chandraswamy.
According to CBI counsel, A.K. Dutt, Labhchandani paid the money through checks to Chandraswamy through the latter’s contact person in the United States, W.E. Miller, of Banner International.
According to Dutt, Labhchandani said that the checks’ were drawn in favor of Banner International and alleged that these were later paid into (Chandraswamy’s account! defence counsel Ashok Arora’s plea that his client could not be sent to jail, before rejecting the argument. This was Chandraswamy’s second judicial custody in the last eight years.
Arora held that since a court had already granted bail to Chandraswamy in the same case eight years ago, his ‘arrest was illegal. AS the counsel continued with his argument, a visibly shaken Chandraswamy he is presumably suffering from cervical ‘spondylitis barely managed to stay standing.
Garg has directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to produce both the accused before the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Prem Kumar.
Pronouncing his order in a jam packed court room, Garg said, “It is beyond my jurisdiction to revise an order passed by the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate and that the bail application could only be moved before him.” The Magistrate. However, allowed Chandraswamy and Mama Ji to take medicine and clothes with them into the jail in view of the ailing condition of the accused persons.
Earlier in the morning, Chandraswamy and Mamaji arrived here on an Indian Airlines flight from Madras, accompanied by a high-level team of CBI officers.
Hordes of newsmen and photographers mounted vigil at the domestic terminal of the Indira Gandhi airport only a little after 9:30 a.m.
The God man and Mamaji were the last to leave the aircraft He was helped aboard a waiting Airport Authority coach by the CBI officials accompanying him; the coach brought the god man to the VVIP gate.
Apparently, Chandraswamy expressed his inability to walk across to the cars parked nearby. So a wheel chair was quickly brought for him, Te seemed ages when he finally man ‘aged to clamber onto the wheel chair and was escorted to the waiting CBI cars, amid much jostling.
Clad in a white kurta and matching dhoti, Chandraswamy looked visibly tired and anxious. His aide, Mamaj who was keeping newsmen at bay, insisted on leaving “Swamiji” alone as he was unwell.
The god man maintained a studied silence when queried as to how he felt about his arrest and what he planned to do next.
Incidentally, apart from a few policemen, there was no heavy security deployment at the airport for the god man’s arrival.
Article extracted from this publication >>May 8, 1996