Click to play videoNew Delhi: Chairman of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, Buta Singh, claimed on Sunday that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) was framing him at the behest of the conspirator in the Rs 1 crore bribery case in which his son Sarabjot Singh has been arrested.
Singh made the claim a day after the CBI said that it would question him in the bribery case.
“This is a conspiracy by a political party. CBI's not playing role as an investigative agency here, but corroborating with the accused. They used my son to target me,” said the former Union minister while addressing a press conference in New Delhi.
“I have already briefed the Prime Minister. I'll ask for time to meet him. I will not take any names. I will speak at an appropriate time, appropriate forum and I will fully co-operate with CBI if they come with proper procedure,”
Meanwhile, The CBI has denied any political pressure to investigate the case. The CBI also refuted reports that the agency has sent a report on this case to the Home Ministry.
The investigating agency has said that constitutional sanction was required to question Buta Singh. After the sanction is granted, the CBI is likely to invoke Section 7 and 9 of the Prevention against Corruption Act (PCI) against the former minister.
The Anti Corruption Branch of the CBI arrested Sarabjot on Thursday on charges of demanding a bribe of Rs 1 crore from a Nashik-based contractor for allegedly clearing his name in a case against him.
Three others including Anup Begi, the middleman and two hawala operators - Madan Singh Solanki and Dhukh Singh Chauhan - who were said to be working for Sarabjot, were also arrested.
Sarabjot had told reportedly the CBI that Buta Singh was kept in the loop about the complaint against Nashik contractor Ram Rao Patil and the alleged bribe.
In his complaint, Patil alleged that Sarabjot had demanded a bribe of Rs 3 crore, which was later brought down to Rs1 crore, for withdrawal of the case.
A case against Patil was registered under the SC/ST Atrocities Act for allegedly cheating some Dalit workers. The case was filed allegedly on Buta Singh's instructions during his visit to Nashik a couple of weeks back.
Patil, is accused of having taken loan of Rs 10 crore from Sri Hari Bade Sir Cooperative Society based in Navi Mumbai against the names of 100 Dalit workers.
CNN-IBN had broken the story about how Patil had allegedly used his proximity to some National Congress Party leaders in the entire scam.
Charges against Patil are that he had cheated 100 workers, all Dalits of Nashik, of sums of money ranging from Rs 11.5 lakh to Rs 17 lakh.
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