The Central Bureau of Investigation has found evidence of financial transactions between Mumbai Congress chief Kripa Shankar Singh and former Jharkhand minister Kamlesh Singh, an aide of ex-chief minister Madhu Koda , who is in jail and facing charges of corruption.
During a search at the Gurgaon residence of Kamlesh Singh’s son Surya Sonal Singh on Wednesday, CBI found evidence of a one crore transfer, in two installments, from Samta Sehkari Cooperative Bank, Mumbai, to Sonal Singh’s account in the Shalimar Bagh branch of ICICI Bank. The account in the cooperative bank is operated jointly by Kripa Shankar Singh’s son Narendra Mohan and his wife Ankita, the daughter of Kamlesh Singh.
Also, CBI found that 1.3 crore was deposited through few tranches between July-October, 2008, in the cooperative bank account of the couple. Investigating agencies are trying to find out if this is Kamlesh Singh’s ill-gotten money y during his stint as a minister in the Koda government.
Kripa Shankar Singh has been under CBI scanner for over a year. The Bombay High Court had last June asked CBI to investigate his role in Koda’s money-laundering case. Singh and his family members were asked to respond to a public interest litigation filed by activist Dinanath Tiwari, which accused them of amassing wealth and assets by using ties with the former Jharkhand chief minister Koda.
Dinanath Tiwari’s alleged that Kripa Shankar Singh had by virtue of his role as Congress in-charge of Jharkhand played a vital role in installing Koda as the chief minister.
His son later married the elder daughter of Kamlesh Singh, who was a minister in the Koda government.
Koda and Kamlesh Singh are in jail for almost a year-and-a-half. They were arrested by Jharkhand’s vigilance bureau in November, 2009, for possessing assets disproportionate to their known sources of income. They face charges under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act too.
During the searches conducted at Surya Sonal Singh’s Gurgaon residence, which is in his father’s name, CBI sleuths came across six bank accounts – two each in the State Bank of India and ICICI Bank, and one each in IDBI Bank and HDFC Bank. While one account in the ICICI Bank is in the name of Surya Sonal Singh, the second is a HUF account in the name of Kamlesh Singh’s second daughter Manisha, who is married to the son of leader of the opposition in Jharkhand assembly, Rajendra Prasad Singh.
CBI officials also found a Hyundai Verna and an Audi in the possession of Surya Sonal Singh.
The second car, Surya Sonal Singh claimed, was in the name of his sister Manisha, who is staying with him for preparing for an exam., said the officials.
Courtsey:ET
