Buta Singh will also be quizzed in son's corruption case

Mumbai, Aug 1 : Former union minister Buta Singh will also be questioned by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with the Rupees 1 crore (Rupees 10 million) corruption case against his son Sarabjot alias Sweety Singh, an official said here Saturday.

"We shall question Buta Singh and all other people whose names figure in the complaint," the official said on condition of anonymity.

He declined to specify when or where -- in Mumbai or New Delhi -- Buta Singh, chairman of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes (SC/ST), may be questioned.

Speaking to reporters in New Delhi, Buta Singh denied all charges against himself.

His son Sarabjot was arrested early Friday and subsequently remanded to police custody by a Mumbai court till Aug 5 after he was caught allegedly taking a bribe of Rs.10 million from Nashik-based contractor Ramraj Patil to close an atrocities case filed against Patil under the SC/ST Act.

Along with Sweety Singh, three men -- Anoop Bedi, Dukhsingh Chauhan and Madan Solanki -- were presented before Sessions Judge S.P.H. Nagarkar and remanded to police custody till Aug 5.

According to the CBI, the corruption case against Sweety Singh involves a complaint filed by Patil.

Patil had alleged in his complaint that Sweety Singh had demanded a bribe of Rs.30 million, for withdrawing an atrocities case under the SC/ST act, filed against Patil by a group of local conservancy workers employed by him.

The 100-odd conservancy workers who work for Patil -- a garbage collection contractor with Nashik Municipal Corporation -- lodged the case since he was allegedly not paying them their wages and had also taken a bank loan of Rs.100 million (Rs.10 crore) in their name.

Sweety Singh, reported to be in touch with the aggrieved conservancy workers, allegedly approached Patil with an offer to withdraw the case against him in return for Rs.30 million.

After some haggling, Patil promised to cough out the sum but also informed the CBI about Singh's demands.

CBI sleuths laid a trap for Singh and caught him in New Delhi Thursday evening when he was allegedly accepting the first instalment of the agreed amount from Patil.