NEW DELHI: Documents in the possession of the CBI belie the investigative agency’s declaration before the Supreme Court that it could not obtain “material evidence” to prove that gangster Babloo Srivastava stayed at controversial tantrik Chandraswamy’s ashram in Delhi.

‘The CBI appears to have put itself in an embarrassing situation in the Babloo Srivastava case. The investigating agency declared in the Supreme Court on February 5, 1996, that it could not get any “material evidence” to prove that the suave underworld operator stayed at Chandraswamy’s ashram in Now Delhi’s Safdar Jung Development Area. However, three statements filed by the CBl itself in the TADA court of Kanpur district suggest the contrary. ‘The statements were recorded by the CBI in the L.D, Arora murder case in January 1994. *

The statement of Bharat Singh alias Munna, who has known Babloo from his Lucknow university days, says)” In October, 1991, I was terminated from. Sanjay Gandhi PCI and in this connection I had met with Sh, Chandraswamy at his residence in Delhi at SDA in February, 1992, At that time Babloo also met me at Sh, Chandraswamy’s residence,”

* In another statement, Virendra Pant, 4 former national level table tennis player and accused in the Rajendra Jain bomb plant case, says: “After my studies at the National Sports College, Rai, I came to Delhi and started residing with my parents. In 1991, 1 came in contact with Sunil Jain and Mamu, both nephews of Chandraswamy who were living in the ashram of said Chandraswamy near my house. I also started visiting the ashram where I came in contact with Om Prakash alias Babloo.”

* The third statement, by CBI witness Sanjay Khanna, later arrested for kidnapping Mumbai based builder RN. Mittal says: “My house is near the ashram of Chandraswamy, & known tantrik and I had been a frequent visitor to the same during my studies in DPS, Mathura Road. In 1992, 1 came in contact with Om Prakash Srivastava alias Babloo, who was a frequent visitor to the ashram of Chandraswamy.” ‘

These are not the only documents pointing to the Srivastava Chandraswamy nexus. The CBI had sent the Singapore authorities two affidavits to get Srivastava extradited. Srivastava was arrested under the name of A.K. Agarwala in Singapore in March, 1995. To prove that A.K. Agarwala is the same Babloo Srivastava, wanted in many criminal cases in India, the CBI sent the affidavits of Parag Jain and Harjit Singh, neighbors of Chandraswamy. They. Had identified the photograph of Agarwala as Srivastava who used to, be in Chandraswamy’s ashram from 1991 to 1992.

Article extracted from this publication >>  March 6, 1996