With two of the accused turning approvers, the Central Bureau of Investigation will soon file a chargesheet against Sarabjot Singh, son of National Commission for Scheduled Castes chairman Buta Singh, in a case of alleged corruption.
"Sarabjot alias Sweety and another accused Anup Begi will be charged under criminal conspiracy and various sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act," Joint Director (Western Region) of CBI Rishiraj Singh told reporters. Asked how soon the chargesheet would be filed, Singh said it will be filed within next five days.
Sarabjot was arrested on July 31 last year for allegedly demanding a bribe of Rs one crore from Nashik-based contractor Ramrao Patil for closing a case pending against him before the Scheduled Castes panel headed by his father.
The case witnessed a legal battle between CBI and Buta Singh, who claimed he functioned himself as a court and could not be summoned by the agency. Buta Singh had moved the Delhi high court challenging the CBI's move to question him, but withdrew the petition later when the agency informed the court that he was being summoned only as a witness.
Besides Sarabjot, three others -- Anup Begi, Madan Singh Solanki and Dhukh Singh Chauhan -- were arrested. "Solanki and Chauhan may be shown as approvers in the chargesheet," Rishiraj said.
The CBI official, however, refused to divulge whether the statement of Buta Singh, recorded by the agency in September last year as a witness, would be included in the chargesheet.
The chargesheet will include the statement of Bengaluru-based Hawala operator Shamlal Chaudhari, who according to the CBI was to transfer the bribe amount to Sarabjot in Delhi.
"We have recorded Chaudhari's statement before a magistrate under Section 164 of the Criminal Procedure Code," Rishiraj said.
According to CBI sources, Chaudhari has claimed that the bribe money was to be transferred to Sarabjot from Bengaluru. The chargesheet may include telephonic interceptions between Sarabjot, the complainant Patil and other accused bargaining the bribe amount.
