Hawala link found to bribery case

Mumbai, Aug 2 : Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)is suspecting a Hawala link into the Rs 1 crore bribery case involving Buta Singh, Chairman of National Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, and his son Sarabjyot, sources said Sunday.

'CBI is suspecting a Hawala angle to the bribery case and they are thinking to investigate the case on the same lines,' sources told media.

Sources told Times Now that Sarabjyot was caught after a well laid trap by the investigating agency, who allegedly asked a Nashik based businessman Ramarao Patil to mix fake currency notes with genuine ones in the Rs 1.25 lakh bribe, which was to be delivered to Sarabjyot through a string of middlemen.

Singh's contact person in Mumbai, Anup Begi accepted the briefcase full of money and was convinced seeing the genuine notes on top. Sources said that Singh then asked him to deliver the briefcase to a shop in Mumbai Central. The shop owner Madan Singh and Dhunka Singh accepted the briefcase with money and 'the CBI suspects the two to be Hawala operators', said sources.

Singh's son Sarobjit alia Sweety Baba , who was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation's anti-corruption wing in Mumbai for allegedly demanding a bribe of one crore rupees from a Nashik -based contractor Ram Rao Patil to close a case in the commission, admitted his 'crime' Friday. During interrogation, Sarobjit told investigating agencies that his father 'knew about the bribe'.

Meanwhile, CBI Director Ashwini Kumar said, 'The CBI is under no pressure. We are completely independent. Someone asked me if we have sent any report to the ministry of home affairs, I said absolutely not and someone from the ministry said that they have not received any report. That is the fact. At the moment no decision has been taken whether we would interrogate Buta Singh or not.'

Sarabjyot has been remanded to CBI custoday till August 5.